Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed which of Aston Villa’s transfer targets will not join the club in January.
It’s been a slow and steady transfer window for Aston Villa so far but one thing is clear – they are looking to do business.
Unai Emery wants to bolster multiple areas of his squad and that has seen several names linked with a move.
Cover for Matty Cash at right-back has been regularly spoken about while depth on the wing and upfront are two positions that need addressing.
With Villa aiming to qualify for the Champions League at the very least, options from the bench will be imperative to their chances.
There have been rumours linking the Villans to Lazio winger Felipe Anderson on a pre-contract agreement with his contract set to expire in June.
The 30-year-old would have been a bargain signing for Emery, but Fabrizio Romano has quashed their hopes of luring him to Villa Park in his latest update.
Fabrizio Romano says Felipe Anderson ‘is not leaving’ in January
Romano has told GIVEMESPORT that Villa “have been following” the winger but unfortunately, he is now “almost guaranteed” to stay at Lazio for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.
He said: “Felipe Anderson is not leaving Lazio in January. That’s almost guaranteed. Lazio don’t want him to leave. So, despite being out of contract in the summer, I think he will complete the season at Lazio and decide his future by himself in the next few months. Lazio proposed to extend the contract. But at the moment, it’s a complicated one.”
Emery’s side wasn’t the only team interested in luring Anderson away from Lazio, with Romano confirming that fellow Italians Juventus have highlighted their desire to sign him.
He added: “From what I’m hearing, Juventus are interested in Anderson. So, I think Juventus will be in the mix to sign him as a free agent. For Aston Villa, yes, they have been following the player many times, but I’m not aware of any concrete negotiations yet.”
Is this a big blow to Aston Villa?
It was always unlikely that Lazio were going to let one of their best players depart halfway through the season without a replacement.
He’s featured in every single match for Maurizio Sarri’s side this term and losing him would have been detrimental to their chances of qualifying for Europe.
Although this news deals Villa short-term blow and means they can temporarily scratch his name off the list, it doesn’t stop them pursuing him on a free transfer in the summer.
Anderson is yet to sign a new contract with Lazio and appears to want out of the club, unless they agree terms on a new deal.
Nonetheless, it’s looking likely that he could depart in June and that’s when Emery should try to do everything in his power to sign him.
If they manage to do that, Villa supporters have seen first-hand how incredible Boubacar Kamara has been on a free transfer and Anderson could follow suit.
