Monchi, the president of football operations at Aston Villa, is rumoured to have started negotiations for Paulo Dybala, one of the biggest coups in the club’s history. There is increasing optimism that Unai Emery’s team will be able to sign the World Cup winner for a very low price.
Ever since Spanish strategist Emery was brought in to replace Steven Gerrard at Villa Park in November 2022, Villa has seen something of a meteoric surge. With a quarterfinal matchup with a Ligue 1 team approaching, the 52-year-old coach has led a team facing relegation into the last rounds of a significant European competition in the UEFA Conference League.
Aston Villa will secure a spot in the Europa League for the next season with a victory in that competition, which gives them even more confidence given that Emery has previously won four European championships as a coach.
Better yet, with a Champions League spot up for grabs—Villa is presently sitting well in fourth place in the Premier League standings—might be in store.
They are now ahead of Tottenham, who do have a game remaining, by three points, with Manchester United six points behind them in sixth place.
Despite the fact that their performance has recently suffered—perhaps most severely after a humiliating 4-0 loss to Tottenham at home—Emery and company need to have the fortitude to persevere and guarantee a top-four finish.
Given the recognition and financial benefit that accompany participation in the top league in European football, Villa would undoubtedly experience a significant financial increase from such an accomplishment.
Additionally, it would showcase Villa as an extremely appealing project to some even more well-known names come summertime. Villa is considered by Monchi for the Dybala trade.
The kind of elite player Villa could be able to sign has already been the subject of intense conjecture ahead of the summer transfer season.
Furthermore, Villa is also investigating the prospect of adding World Cup-winning attacker Dybala to the team this summer, reports the Italian daily Il Messaggero.
Under recently appointed coach Daniele De Rossi, the 30-year-old has had a strong season at Roma.
He joined as a free agent from Juventus in the summer of 2022 and has since made 62 appearances while scoring 32 goals. Even though Dybala isn’t the Giallorossi’s primary centre forward option, his 14 goals in 28 games this season highlight his tremendous goal threat.
His current contract, however, is set to expire in the summer of 2025. Interestingly, it contains a clause that permits the 185-goal forward to relocate abroad for a meagre €13 million (£11.5 million)—a pittance by today’s standards.
Atletico Madrid and Villa are the two teams interested in the 2022 World Cup winner, according to the Italian newspaper.
Nonetheless, it seems that Villa is the more active of the two, and it is said that Monchi—who has a strong name in the industry and oversaw the acquisitions of Mousa Diaby and Pau Torres last summer—has already communicated with the players’ agents.
Legend from Roma suggests Giallorossi trade Dybala
Villa has already chosen not to sign loanee Nicolo Zaniolo permanently, so if Dybala were to become interested, they would have room in their roster.
In addition, it’s said that the player is amenable to the prospect of competing in the Premier League after drawing praise from Manchester United and Tottenham in the past.
Though far from setting a club record at Villa, the player’s capture seems to indicate that a move to the club is the best alternative. This would be one of the most significant transfers in the history of the team.
The idea that Roma might lose its star player is not new either. Legendary player Francesco Totti questions the Argentinian’s level of fitness and says it wouldn’t be a bad thing if he went on.
The former Roma star told il Corriere dello Sport, “We are talking about a top player, but we need to understand what the club want to do in the future and their targets for next season.”
“If I were a director, I would consider a football player who participates in fifteen games annually. I have to make my decisions if one of my greatest players is available for a third of the games and I have a significant aim.
While Dybala can leave Roma for non-Italian teams for €13 million, Serie A rivals can also entice him away with a €20 million offer.
GET MORE NEWS HERE