Hull City signing Ola Aina from Chelsea has given Aston Villa hope of nabbing Steve Bruce favourite Ahmed Elmohamady.
The cosy relationship enjoyed by Hull City and Chelsea appears to have benefitted Aston Villa too.
According to The Mirror, Chelsea are set to send talented right-back Ola Aina to the KCom Stadium on a season-long loan deal. Clearly, Blues chairman Roman Abramovich is aiming to give his old friend, and new Hull boss, Leonid Slutsky a helping hand in his first spell in English football.
Aina could be the first of many Chelsea youngsters joining Hull on loan
And the Birmingham Mail report that this will push forward Villa’s deal to sign Ahmed Elmohamady. After all, 20-year-old Aina, who impressed Antonio Conte during Chelsea’s 2016 pre-season tour, is a readymade replacement for the lung-busting right-back.
The report claims that Elmohamady is keen to link up with Villa boss Steve Bruce again, having worked with the genial Geordie at both Hull and Sunderland.
However, with The Telegraph reporting that Villa’s purse strings are being restricted by a fear of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, Elmohamady’s price tag remains a sticking point.
It is understood that Egyptian international, who has two years remaining on his contract, is valued at £3 million and has been made available for transfer.
Ahmed Elmohamady (L) helped Steve Bruce’s Hull City win promotion to the Premier League in the 2016 play-off final
And his energetic bursts down the flank and pinpoint crossing ability would make him the perfect fit for the 3-5-2 system Bruce is hoping to roll out on a more regular basis in the Championship next season.
Elmohamady is not the sort of signing that would get pulses racing but, with two promotions on his CV and a wealth of Championship experience, Bruce’s long-standing favourite could be an astute addition.
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