Nicolo Fagioli of Juventus.
Nicolo Fagioli of Juventus.
Aston Villa have joined the race to sign one of Italy's bright young stars in January as Unai Emery looks to bolster his options.
According to TBR Football , the Villans have cast their eye on Serie A's 2023 'Young Player of the Year' Nicolo Fagioli ahead of the winter transfer window. The 23-year-old has fallen out of favour at Juventus in the past months, with other midfielders including ex-Villa hero Douglas Luiz overtaking him in the pecking order.
Fagioli has already made an appearance at Villa Park this season, coming on for four minutes in Emery's side's recent goalless draw with the Old Lady in the Champions League.
The Italian is a midfielder who has been previously likened to former Gli Azzurri legend Andrea Pirlo. Fagioli most commonly operates in central midfield or defensive midfield, possessing great vision, technique and passing abilities and a good knack for winning back the ball. He could provide great depth in the centre of the park for Villa who look to compete on both a domestic and European front this season.
However, the Claret and Blues are not the only club said to be interested in the services of Fagioli. Premier League clubs Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in the running, as are Fulham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.
There is also interest from abroad with Italian clubs Atalanta and Napoli circling alongside French giants Marseille and Villa's next European opponents RB Leipzig.
TBR has suggested that the most likely form of transfer for the Italian international would be an initial loan deal with an option for a permanent signature later down the line.
Fagioli has not had the best of times recently, with poor performances for his standards resulting in his fall out of favour. Furthermore, immediately after his breakout season for Juve, the 2001-born midfielder underwent a seven-month ban between October 2023 and May 2024 for violating betting rules.
Despite his trials, there is certainly potential for Fagioli to unlock, and a move to the West Midlands may provide the fresh scenery and managerial influence he needs to thrive.
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