Aston Villa are trying to sign another young gem for their side this summer, despite his own Club desperately trying to keep hold of him, according to the latest reports.
Villa looking for low cost solutions
Despite having enjoyed an excellent season and seemingly set for Champions League Football next term, the fear of financial fair play continues to loom over Unai Emery’s side, with two of their fellow Premier League sides having already been punished and Manchester City’s 115 breaches still being fought.
Though Villa have as of yet no reason to be concerned, they posted losses of £120m for the most recent financial year. The statement that accompanied the announcement claimed that “these figures are in line with the strategic business plan, and we continue to operate within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules”, but it has led to significant speculation that should Villa want to spend heavily again this summer, sacrifices will have to be made.
To avoid this happening in the future, Villa are looking to sign players both cheaply and before they hit their prime, with their seemingly successful chase of Mario Hermoso an example of the former, with the Spaniard set to arrive as a free transfer when his contract at Atletico de Madrid expires this summer.
Meanwhile, their January business can be seen as an attempt to achieve the latter, with only one of their five signings being over the age of 21, and one, in the form of Morgan Rodgers, already starring.
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Aston Villa’s January business |
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|
Player |
Age |
Fee |
|
Morgan Rodgers |
21 |
£8m |
|
Lino Sousa |
21 |
Unknown |
|
Kosta Nedeljkovic |
21 |
£6.5m |
|
Joe Gauci |
23 |
Unknown |
Now, they are trying to ramp up this policy and add another young star to their ranks.
Miller on the Villa radar
That comes in the form of Motherwell sensation Lennon Miller, who is catching the eye of a whole host of Premier League sides this summer. The 17-year-old midfielder is out of contract with the Scottish side in 2025 as things stand, and Motherwell are fighting to keep him until at least that point.
However, TeamTalk reveal that there is interest from both Aston Villa and south coast side Bournemouth in the teenager, who helped Motherwell ensure their top flight survival via a relegation play off.
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He could be making the move to Villa Park this summer according to recent reports.
Villa in particular are thought to be pushing hard, in part because the Midlands outfit “have been scouting Scottish Football intensively in recent years” after their success in unearthing John McGinn, who has gone on to become a stalwart in Emery’s midfield.
However, it is added that first team Football would not be guaranteed for Miller, and that he would likely be asked to earn his stripes in the youth leagues of English Football, something that he may be unwilling to do given his exposure to top flight Football already.
Miller’s future definitely lies away from Motherwell, but it is unclear whether he will make the move this summer, or wait until his contract expires in 12 months to choose his next side.