Aston Villa are now ready to hijack AFC Bournemouth’s transfer to sign an “outrageous” up and coming defender, according to a recent report.
Aston Villa identify replacement for key star
Since making the move to Villa Park, goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s career has gone from strength to strength, as he’s established himself as one of the best keepers in England and the world, given his heroics for Argentina, where he won the Golden Glove award in the 2022 World Cup.
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He's a wanted man.
Now at the age of 32, Martinez may feel it is the right time for him to leave Villa and move to the next stage of his career. The Argentine is still under contract until 2029, but transfer speculation is continuing to mount, as Manchester United have reportedly made an approach over a possible move this summer. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have also been in the mix, and the Villans' need to balance sales with incomings could create the perfect storm for his departure.
Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez reacts after Paris St Germain's Nuno Mendes scores
So as Martinez weighs up his future, Unai Emery and co. are looking at options to replace the 32-year-old, and OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka is someone club chiefs have identified. He is believed to be Villa’s first choice to replace Martinez, but they do face competition for his signature, as Marseille are also interested in signing the shot-stopper.
Aston Villa ready to hijack Bournemouth transfer to sign £20m defender
As the Villans look to strengthen their goalkeeper department, Emery also wants a new defender, and according to The Sun, Aston Villa are ready to join the battle to sign Adrien Truffert from Rennes.
Adrien Truffert Christian Pulisic
The report states that Emery is in the market for a new left-back despite having Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen at his disposal, with the former now in his thirties and out of contract in 2026. However, Bournemouth are already chasing a deal for the defender, and it is claimed they are close to agreeing a £20 million deal with Rennes.
Villa will have to match the Cherries' offer to stand a chance of signing the 23-year-old, but before they can do that, they will have to move a player on to abide with PSR.
Truffert, who has been dubbed “outrageous” in the past, has been at Rennes since 2015 and is currently club captain. He finished this season with two goals and two assists in 33 Ligue 1 games, but it wasn’t enough for him to be called up to the France squad for their Nations League games.
In fact, the defender has yet to earn a senior international call-up, and his thinking may be that a move to the Premier League could open that door. Bournemouth do appear to be ahead in the race, but Villa may have a way of beating the Cherries to a deal, with Truffert represented by the same agency as current Villa defender Enzi Konsa, perhaps allowing the Villans a smoother path in negotiations.