Unai Emery will look to add to his Villa Park squad this summer.placeholder image
Unai Emery will look to add to his Villa Park squad this summer. | Getty Images
Aston Villa could have an important summer transfer window ahead - and may look to the free agent market for a key deal
Aston Villa took a major step towards getting their Champions League aspirations back on track as Unai Emery’s side defeated West Ham United 2-0 at Villa Park on Sunday.
The relegation-battling Hammers had shown improved form in recent matches but Villa were too good for them on the day and opened up a five-point gap over fifth-placed Liverpool with the victory. Securing a Champions League spot for next season could be crucial in keeping hold of important players this summer, with the likes of Morgan Rogers targeted by rivals and the futures of experienced stars such as Emiliano Martínez and Ollie Watkins thought to be uncertain.
Villa have begun drawing up an early list of transfer targets for the summer and might turn to the free agent market to secure a crucial deal for an in-demand Premier League ace.
Aston Villa emerge as leading candidate to secure Bournemouth star on free transfer
As reported by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are firmly in the running to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi when his contract runs out this summer and could jump ahead of rival suitors in the race for his signature.
The Argentine has an important decision to make regarding his future and the expectation is that he will move onto pastures new ahead of next season, with Villa Park ‘increasingly emerging’ as a potential destination as Bournemouth’s attempts to tie him down to a new deal continue to falter.
Reporting states that despite consistent links with Serie A sides such as Juventus, Aston Villa have a ‘better chance’ of convincing the player due to their ability to pay higher wages. The West Midlands outfit are ‘offering significantly higher salary and bonuses’, as per Corriere dello Sport, and this is said to ‘swing the race in their favour’. The same is thought to apply to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, who can also offer Senesi a handsome financial package in comparison with Serie A outfits such as the Old Lady and Roma.
Both Villa and Dortmund have made ‘concrete moves’ for Senesi and Juventus have reportedly already begun to consider other options, alarmed by their decreasing prospects of securing the Cherries ace.
Signing Senesi on a free this summer is a no-brainer for Villa
Aston Villa’s lack of strength in depth has been questioned in recent months, as their tentative title push has faltered amid a European campaign which has been managed better by some of their top four rivals.
Bringing in an experienced Premier League defender such as Senesi could make a major difference for next season. While Ezri Konsa has often been fit and reliable, both Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres have suffered from frequent injury issues in recent seasons and Senesi could play a major role if the Villans are competing in Europe again next term.
An Argentina international who is more than capable of making a starting role his own at Villa Park, Senesi also demonstrated his ability to be a good squad player when he was ousted from the Bournemouth starting XI by Dean Huijsen last season. His impressive return to the side this term has been highly commendable as the Cherries have enjoyed another outstanding campaign despite losing key players.
It is, therefore, no surprise that Senesi is being courted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs ahead of the summer window. It says a lot about the financial might of the Premier League that Villa are expected to blow a traditional European superpower such as Juventus out of the water when it comes to wages – Emery’s side should do all they can to land a free transfer deal for Senesi which could transform their summer window.
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