Aston Villa have been linked with Bristol City defender Adam Webster.
Bristol City’s strong start to the summer transfer window continued on Monday, as they secured a permanent deal for Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas.
The Czech international enjoyed a superb loan spell at Ashton Gate last season, and the Robins have now paid a club-record £8million fee to sign him permanently (Bristol Post).
After securing Jay Dasilva permanently and bringing in Daniel Bentley, Bristol City have made a few impressive moves – but some believe the Kalas deal is foreshadowing an exit.
Kalas’s defensive partner Adam Webster is a wanted man, and the Bristol Post claim that Aston Villa are increasingly confident that they’ll sign him.
A fee of at least £20million is expected for Webster, and Villa fans were taking to Twitter last night to suggest that the Kalas deal pushes Webster one step closer to Villa Park.
However, that’s not necessarily the case. Webster and Kalas played together in the heart of Lee Johnson’s back four, and regardless of Webster’s future, Bristol City wanted to make sure Kalas joined permanently.
With money to spend from selling Lloyd Kelly to Bournemouth – and with some funds left over from selling Joe Bryan, Aden Flint and Bobby Reid last summer – the deal for Kalas doesn’t need to be funded by selling Webster.
Yes, a move to Aston Villa may well materialise, but Kalas isn’t his replacement, and Villa may still face a lengthy battle prising Webster away from Ashton Gate, rather than a deal being another step closer.
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