Aston Villa could oust other Premier League clubs to the signing of Juventus star Samuel Kalulu, according to reports - with the Villans thought to be 'eyeing' a move for the centre-back.
Villa missed out on the chance to go into the top two of the Premier League on Sunday after drawing with Everton at Villa Park, with Thierno Barry's goal being the difference between the two sides. Regardless, it looks as though Villa will be on route to finishing in the Champions League as long as they don't slip up any further in the table, and Champions League-level signings should be in the frame.
And that could see them land Kalulu after some strong form this season, despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, their Premier League counterparts.
Report: Aston Villa 'Weighing Up Move' for Juventus Star Pierre Kalulu
Pierre Kalulu
The report by Calciomercato suggests that Kalulu is on Aston Villa's radar after some strong performances at Juventus.
The Frenchman, 25, moved to Italy in 2020 after joining AC Milan, spending three seasons at the Serie A club before moving on for Juventus on loan last season, impressing enough to secure a £15million move to Turin.
Kalulu, dubbed as 'stratospheric' in the team under both Luciano Spalletti and Igor Tudor at the helm, is enjoying his best season yet since arriving in Italy half a decade ago. However, Villa's interest emerging has thrown a spanner in the works for Juventus fans, with the defender potentially moving to another club at the end of the season.
Kalulu's valuation has risen as a result of his strong performances, and so it would take a figure well in excess of £15million to bring him to Villa Park. Calciomercato reports that it would cost Villa around £25million to bring him to the west Midlands, given the Premier League's financial capacity.
For Juventus, that would represent a huge financial gain, and they could replace the Frenchman with another, higher-rated talent in the months to come - and missing out on the Champions League would force that sale.
Aston Villa Are in Need of a Centre-Back Recruit
Aston Villa manager Unai EmeryREUTERS/Chris Radburn
For Villa, they would be securing a superb player who is yet to come into his prime years. At just 25, Kalulu has already racked up almost 200 career appearances, as well as making his France national team debut back in June against Spain.
Ezri Konsa is 28, Tyrone Mings is almost 33, and Pau Torres has just turned 29. There needs to be a young defender coming through the ranks to displace Konsa and Torres, and that could be Kalulu.
The Frenchman would give Unai Emery half a decade of talent before he reaches the age of his potential teammates, which is a huge asset to have for the Spaniard.