Aston Villa aim to push ahead with a deal to sign West Ham right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka “very soon”, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said that the Europa League winners are set to hold further talks with the Hammers about the transfer:
“Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a concrete target for Aston Villa this summer. From what I’m hearing, Aston Villa have genuine interest in the player.”
“They are expected to have contacts very soon, and so Villa are working on Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Watch out for the deal because there could be movement around the former Manchester United fullback.”
Have West Ham set a valuation?
When Arsenal were sniffing around earlier this summer, it was reported that the Irons were holding out for a fee in the region of £20m to £25m.
That would mean a profit on the £15m they spent to bring Wan-Bissaka in from Manchester United in the summer of 2024.
The club have already signed Wan-Bissaka’s replacement
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side secured the signature of Joel Veltman from Brighton on a free transfer earlier this month, and the 34-year-old will compete for starts with Kyle Walker-Peters on the right-hand side of defence.
It means there is no pressure to sell Wan-Bissaka. The Hammers are already well-stocked in his position, and they could potentially wait until the end of the transfer window before offloading him to a potential suitor.
Villa do, though, seem determined to snap up the Republic of Congo international. The Premier League kicks off a week later than the Championship, so you would think that Unai Emery’s side will be looking to get an agreement in place before their first fixture against Brighton a week on Sunday.