Aston Villa are still very much in the race to sign a "phenomenal" defender in the summer transfer window, but there will be competition for his signature from the likes of Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, according to a report.
Emery's summer transfer plans take shape
Unai Emery was active during the January transfer window, bringing in Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi on loan deals until the end of the season, and it appears as though one of the manager's priorities this summer will be making their stays permanent.
Former Villa CEO Keith Wyness has stated Emery is a "huge fan" of Asensio, while also claiming he expects a deal for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder to be completed this summer, and there has been another update on the potential pursuit of Disasi.
A report has revealed the Villans are keen to keep hold of the Chelsea loanee beyond the end of the season, given his impressive performances since arriving in the winter, but they could face competition for his signature from rival Premier League clubs.
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Not only is Emery looking to tie down two loanees to permanent deals, but there is also an interest in signing a player who emerged as a target in the January window, with a report from InterLive revealing Aston Villa are very much in the race for Real Sociedad's Jon Aramburu (via Sport Witness).
An approach was made for Aramburu during the winter, before ultimately opting to sign Andres Garcia, but Emery's side could make a new attempt to get a deal done at the end of the season.
Real Sociedad's Jon Aramburu in action with Maccabi Tel Aviv's Gabi Kanichowsky
There may be fierce competition, however, with Atlético Madrid, Newcastle United and Inter Milan also interested in the right-back, who is valued at €15m (£13m) by the La Liga side.
"Phenomenal" Aramburu is a superb tackler
It is clear to see why Villa were keen on signing the 22-year-old prior to bringing in Garcia, given that he has excelled on a number of key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
Statistic Average per 90
Aerials won 1.54 (90th percentile)
Clearances 3.60 (91st percentile)
Interceptions 1.29 (85th percentile)
Tackles 4.26 (99th percentile)
The Venezuela international has also been lauded for his performances for his national side, with journalist Nathan Joyes singling him out for praise after the 1-1 draw against Brazil back in November.
That said, considering Villa signed Garcia in January and Emery also has Matty Cash at his disposal, there are question marks over whether Aramburu would be a necessary signing this summer, and it may be best to focus on strengthening other areas of the squad.