Arsenal eye Rogers as Villa face Martinez interest
V Sports have bought around 30% of Ligue 2 side Annecy, extending their network with Aston Villa and Vitoria SC. Villa are expected to loan players to Annecy after Triston Rowe’s stint aided a 7th-place finish.
Key Villa deals: Watkins, Konsa, Torres and Digne to 2028; Martinez and Onana to 2029; Rogers, Maatsen and Kamara to 2030. Tielemans, Buendia, Cash, Mings and McGinn to 2027. Potential sales and extensions are discussed.
Juventus are interested in Emi Martinez after earlier Inter links. Villa want a swift resolution to avoid a repeat of last summer’s drawn-out saga as Unai Emery plans for the Champions League and any goalkeeper contingency.
Ollie Watkins says England omission was a ‘blessing in disguise’. He hit six in five to earn a World Cup place and aims to carry Villa’s Europa League-winning momentum into the tournament.
Benfica have set Vangelis Pavlidis’ price at around €40m, below his €100m clause. Besiktas’ €20m plus bonuses bid falls short. Tottenham and Aston Villa must decide whether to test Benfica’s stance.
Villa have reportedly opened talks over a £35m attacker who could replace Morgan Rogers, aiming to maintain Emery’s momentum. The target is not disclosed in the report.
Villa have moved decisively to sign free agent Oscar Mingueza from Celta Vigo, offering Champions League football and higher wages than Juventus. The versatile 27-year-old would bolster Emery’s defence.
Villa face PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on 12 August, then the Premier League starts on 22 August. The fixture list will be released on 19 June. World Cup call-ups may return late for pre-season.
Aston Villa and Brighton have asked about Roma’s Matias Soule, with talks expected to start from around €40m. A move to Villa would offer Champions League football and keep him at the top level.
Former Villa captain Tommy Elphick is set to join Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool coaching staff on a two-year deal, leaving Bournemouth. The ex-defender made 46 appearances for Villa.
Opinion credits Marco Silva’s 2022 3-0 win over Villa as the trigger for Steven Gerrard’s exit and Unai Emery’s arrival, leading to trophies and a Champions League return at Villa Park.
Arsenal eye Morgan Rogers, who is ‘open’ to a move. Villa are intent on keeping him but could sell if bids start around £100m, with Middlesbrough due 20% of any fee. Rogers has five years left on his deal.
Youri Tielemans scored and starred as Belgium beat Croatia 2-0, while Amadou Onana impressed as a makeshift centre-back with 98% passing and strong defensive numbers ahead of the World Cup.
Tottenham are exploring a move for a former Liverpool forward also discussed by Aston Villa, alongside interest in Savinho, according to Paul O’Keefe.
