Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign a midfielder who's been described as a "one-man army", but there could be competition for his signature from some of Europe's top clubs, according to a report.
Aston Villa's midfielder pursuit
Villa completed the signing of Marco Asensio in the January transfer window, with the Spaniard joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain for the remainder of the campaign, and he has made an instant impact.
The attacking midfielder has already scored seven goals for the Villans in all competitions, and Unai Emery is now keen to secure a permanent deal, but there are also some alternatives in mind.
Lyon's Malick Fofana has now been identified as a potential target, while Emery is also believed to be a big fan of Real Betis' Isco, who has been in resurgent form in La Liga this season.
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He's a future star...
Signing a new attacking midfielder is clearly of great importance to Emery this summer, but there are also indications the manager could be keen on bringing in a player capable of playing in a slightly deeper role.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Genoa's Morten Frendrup, but there could be fierce competition for the defensive midfielder's signature, amid interest from Liverpool and Juventus.
Napoli's Frank Anguissa in action with Genoa's Morten Frendrup
Villa are said to be keen on a deal for Frendrup, who is also capable of playing at full-back, and there is a belief he would be well-suited to the Premier League.
It is starting to look increasingly likely the Dane will leave Genoa in the summer, with the Italian club looking to hold out for a fee of at least €30m (£25m).
"One-man army" Frendrup is a superb tackler
The 23-year-old specialises in the defensive side of the game, placing particularly highly for tackles completed per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
Statistic Average per 90
Tackles 3.25 (93rd percentile)
Interceptions 1.48 (85th percentile)
Blocks 1.72 (92nd percentile)
Such is the Denmark international's defensive acumen, he has been described as a "one-man army" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, while freelance scout Ben Mattinson believes he could also be capable of contributing in attack, suggesting that he'd "chip in with a few goals too" if given more license.
As such, it is little wonder some of Europe's top clubs are queuing up for the midfielder, and £25m seems like a very reasonable asking price, so Aston Villa should undoubtedly attempt to get a deal over the line this summer.