Fabrizio Romano has dropped a transfer update on Aston Villa as the club reach ‘advanced talks’ to land one of their ‘outstanding’ targets.
Aston Villa are seeking improvements to their squad ahead of a Champions League campaign in 2024/25 however, Monchi must make some sales first to comply with Profit & Sustainability Regulations (PSR).
That is why funds are needed ahead of the June 30th deadline with it looking increasingly likely that Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran will leave Villa Park.
Unai Emery is shopping for two types of players in this window; elite-level talents to take them to the next level and youngsters who he can develop into the next world-beating stars.
Lewis Dobbin – a precocious talent from Everton – falls into the latter category and it emerged on Thursday that Villa were in talks to sign the 21-year-old. Fabrizio Romano has since supplied an update on negotiations.
Aston Villa are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Lewis Dobbin
The Athletic claims Villa are looking to utilise cross-player transactions as the best way to balance the books.
This explains why Emery is prepared to let academy graduate Tim Ireogbunham leave for £9m to Everton, with Dobbin moving in the other direction.
Romano has since dropped a promising update on this swap deal, claiming the Villans are in ‘advanced talks’ to prise Dobbin out of Goodison Park while Iroegbunham has completed his move to Merseyside.
Much like when Aston Villa signed Morgan Rogers from Middlesborough in January, the Everton starlet is seen as a long-term part of the Emery project, and won’t necessarily be involved instantly.
Emery also captured teenagers Kosta Nedeljkovic and Arsenal’s Lino Sousa in the previous window as Villa aimed to build for the future and the present.
Lewis Dobbin has a ‘bright future’
A graduate of Everton’s prestigious academy, which saw Wayne Rooney emerge from, Everton have high hopes for Dobbin.
The 2003-born winger predominantly plays on the left and injects real pace into his teams’ attacks, cutting in onto his right foot.
Dobbin enjoyed a productive loan spell at Derby County in the 2022/23 campaign, producing five goals and six assists in all competitions.
This was the youngster’s first real test of senior football and he passed it with flying colours as Derby manager Paul Warne lauded his talent as “outstanding”.
Former Everton under-23 coach David Unsworth even described the fleet-footed winger as a potential “top player” after he made his debut as a 16-year-old in the under-23 side in 2019.
Dobbin appears to have a high ceiling as an attacking outlet, scoring his first Premier League in a 2-0 victory over Chelsea in December.
Emery will want to unearth his true potential at Aston Villa, giving the Spaniard an option on the left flank, a position they’re currently lacking in.
