Aston Villa are vying for the signature of a Premier League star, and are ready to offer him a £1 million pay rise to join them.
Villa set for Europa League quarter-final against Bologna
Villa's season reaches a pivotal point tonight when they head to the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Bologna.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts
Unai Emery, a four-time winner of this competition, has guided Villa to nine wins from their 10 matches in this season's tournament, and they arrive in Italy as the bookmakers' outright favourites to go all the way to the final in Istanbul.
Villa have won five successive Europa League games, keeping clean sheets in three of them, with their most recent continental outing a 3-0 aggregate dismissal of Lille in the round of 16.
Aston Villa's journey to the Europa League last eight Standing
Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna League phase
Feyenoord 0-2 Aston Villa League phase
Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Aston Villa League phase
Aston Villa 2-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv League phase
Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys League phase
FC Basel 1-2 Aston Villa League phase
Fenerbahçe 0-1 Aston Villa League phase
Aston Villa 3-2 Salzburg League phase
Lille 0-1 Aston Villa Last 16 (first leg)
Aston Villa 2-0 Lille Last 16 (first leg)
They also beat Bologna 1-0 when the two sides met in the league phase back in September.
Bologna arrive at this stage having beaten Roma 5-4 across two legs in the previous round, a result that required extra time in the second leg and demonstrated a capacity to dig in under pressure.
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Unai Emery's side are apparently keen on hin.
Youri Tielemans is fit to return to Villa's starting lineup after several weeks out, expected to partner Amadou Onana in midfield, which gives Emery welcome depth going into the tie.
The second leg at Villa Park follows on April 16.
For now, the focus is on protecting their European status, and while the match takes centre stage, work on next season's squad is already underway off the pitch.
Aston Villa ready to offer Marcos Senesi a £1 million pay rise
One name gathering serious momentum is Marcos Senesi.
marcos-senesi-argentina
The Bournemouth centre-back's contract runs out in the summer, and he has already informed the club he will not be extending his stay, as per Tuttosport.
At 28, the Argentine has made 30 Premier League appearances this season and is drawing interest from across Europe and England as a zero-fee acquisition.
Juventus have already put a formal proposal on the table — a four-year deal at around £2.6m per year — but according to TuttoSport, via Sport Witness, that figure has not been sufficient to convince Senesi's camp.
Indeed, this is while Villa and Tottenham are both prepared to go considerably higher.
marcos-senesi-bournemouth-premier-league
Both Premier League clubs are understood to be willing to offer wages of around £3.5m annually — roughly a million more than Senesi currently earns at Bournemouth, and significantly above what the Turin side can match.
Borussia Dortmund have also tabled a package in excess of Juventus's offer, making the Italian club's position increasingly difficult.
Barcelona remain in the background, with suggestions that Senesi may be holding out to see whether a formal approach materialises from the Catalan side. Atlético Madrid have previously been linked too, but the salary gap between those clubs and the English duo is a factor that is difficult to ignore.
In the contest between Villa and Tottenham, there is one area where Emery's side hold a clear advantage.
unai-emery-aston-villa-premier-league
Villa are currently fourth in the Premier League, and within reach of Champions League football next season. Tottenham, regardless of what happens in the final weeks, face an uncertain future and no European football of any kind.
For a player at the stage of his career, where one big contract defines the next chapter, the prospect of Champions League football and a settled project under a manager with Emery's European track record carries real weight.
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