Aston Villa have held talks with the representatives of a Premier League star as Unai Emery eyes a bargain summer transfer.
Third place, 50 points from 26 games, still very much in the conversation. On the surface, Emery's Villa are doing what they always do under the Spaniard — grinding out results, staying relevant, and refusing to go away.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
But the picture is not entirely rosy at Villa Park right now.
A defeat to Brentford, a draw at Bournemouth, and an FA Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle in recent weeks have taken some of the shine off a campaign that still holds enormous promise.
Saturday's clash against Leeds United is a fixture Villa absolutely must win.
The Champions League places are within reach, seven points behind Arsenal, but time is ticking, and dropped points against the division's lesser lights will be punished.
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The Villans boss was desperate for his signing.
Emery knows the drill. He has been here before, navigating congested fixture lists while keeping his squad sharp and hungry. The Europa League adds another layer of complexity, and with a round of 16 draw looming at the end of the month, the Spaniard needs his best players performing.
Behind-the-scenes, NSWE and co are already preparing to back Emery in the transfer market this summer, quite soon after Villa sealed four major signings last month.
Word is that Villa are now one of several clubs to have made their presence felt in a summer transfer chase that is shaping up to be one of the most competitive of the window.
The target is a centre-back who plays his football in the Premier League, is out of contract at the end of the season, and has already made it abundantly clear he will not be sticking around at his current club.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery catches the match ball
The profile is exactly what Villa need — experienced, established at this level, and available on a free.
Aston Villa hold talks with Marcos Senesi over free summer move
That player is Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi.
marcos-senesi-bournemouth-premier-league
The Argentine turned 28 last month and, since crossing over from Dutch football with Feyenoord back in 2022, he has been among the most consistent defenders in the Premier League.
His decision not to sign a new deal on the south coast has triggered interest from some major clubs — Tottenham, Everton, Newcastle and Sunderland among them.
Villa are in that group too, having also held talks with his camp, as per TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey.
However, the reality is that all of these English sides face huge competition from the Camp Nou.
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Jadon Sancho in action with AFC Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi and Adrien Truffert
Barcelona have made their move. Sources indicate the Catalan side have put together a proposal and are now considered the front-runner, with insiders saying the player has found the approach from Spain extremely difficult to dismiss.
The allure is obvious. Free agents of Senesi's quality rarely get to choose their next club from this kind of shortlist, and when Barcelona come knocking, most footballers listen.
For Villa, losing this race would not be the end of the world. Emery has other options and the resources to find solutions, but a cut-price defensive addition of genuine Premier League pedigree would be very ideal, particularly with Champions League football likely once again next season.
For now, though, the focus must shift back to Leeds. The title race waits for nobody, and neither does Emery.
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