Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for a cut-price deal for a player who has been celebrating Euro 2024 glory with Spain.
Unai Emery has seen the Aston Villa pursestrings loosen following the sales of Tim Iroegbunam, Omari Kellyman and Douglas Luiz prior to the 30th June PSR deadline.
Since then, it has all been about incomings at Villa Park, with six players signed and Amadou Onana expected to soon become the seventh in a £50 million deal from Everton.
Of those soon to be seven signings, three have been central midfield players; Enzo Barrenechea and Ross Barkley, as well as Onana.
- READ MORE: Potential Aston Villa XI with Amadou Onana after £50m transfer with key squad member axed
Now, Emery could sign yet another midfielder with a move for a La Liga ace who has just one year left on his current contract.
Aston Villa and Arsenal interested in Real Sociedad star Mikel Merino
That player is Mikel Merino, who is fresh off the back of breaking the hearts of Villa duo Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa to lift the Euro 2024 trophy.
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The 28-year-old has actually played in England previously, spending the 2017/18 season at Newcastle United before current club Real Sociedad triggered his release clause in the summer of 2018.
In the six years that have followed, Merino has developed into a very accomplished midfielder and, with the player expected to be available for £20 million due to his contract situation, Emery is interested in bringing his compatriot to Villa Park.
That is according to Italian outlet Tutto Juve, who report that: ‘Arsenal would like midfielder Mikel Merino, winner of Euro 2024, who is also the goal of Aston Villa’.
Both clubs are said to be ‘interested’ in a move for the former Borussia Dortmund man, with Juventus also keeping tabs on Merino’s situation.
Merino labelled the ‘best player in La Liga’
Merino featured in every game of Spain’s Euros winning campaign in Germany this summer, including coming on in the 89th-minute of the final.
An incredibly cultured left-footed midfielder, Merino would bring real guile to the Villa midfield and, even with Emery’s wealth of options, a cut-price move for the Sociedad star could prove too good an opportunity to miss.
The midfielder also has recent Champions League experience having played in the competition for the first time last season which will be useful to Villa as they compete amongst Europe’s elite next season.
Merino’s manager at Sociedad, Imanol Alguacil, could not rate the player more highly and made a bold claim in 2022, saying: “I said it before and I’ll say it again in case it’s not clear, Mikel Merino is the best player in La Liga.”
A player of Merino’s quality does not become available very often and Emery may just convince the Villa hierarchy that this is a deal they have to complete.
