Omar Elabdellaoui turned down a potential move to Aston Villa before swapping Olympiakos for Galatasaray, according to VG.
While a vastly improved defensive record was a deciding factor as the Midland giants avoided relegation by a single point last season, do not make the mistake in assuming that Dean Smith and co will rest on their laurels this summer.
There is work to be done in the transfer market and it seems that Villa are prioritising a new right-back, with neither Ahmed Elmohamady nor the exciting but erratic Frederic Guilbert making the position their own just yet.
Ezri Konsa filled in on the right at times, but the 6ft centre-half feels very much a square peg in a round hole on the flanks.
But, despite Villa’s best efforts, former Hull and Manchester City flyer Elabdellaoui will not be returning to England this summer.
“I can confirm interest from several clubs. The specific countries Omar refused were England, Germany and Italy,” says agent Mikail Adampour, while refusing to mention Aston Villa specifically.
An energetic, attack-minded right-back who impressed against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Arsenal in Europe last season, Elabdellaoui won four Greek Superleague titles in six years at Olympiakos and will now be hoping to restore Galatasaray to glory.
The Istanbul giants finished sixth in 2019/20, one year after completing the league and cup double.
Aston Villa will now be forced to look elsewhere for a new right-back and, according to the Birmingham Mail, Schalke’s £20 million-rated USA international Weston McKennie is keen on a move to the Midlands.
McKennie is a central midfielder by trade but his versatility means he can fill in at right-back without much difficulty.
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