Aston Villa are lining up a 2025 move to replace Moussa Diaby after he left the club over the summer, it has been reported, with one man top of their list.
Aston Villa struggling for width
Though it has been a strong start to the season for Aston Villa, there are concerns for Unai Emery about options in wide areas. Leon Bailey struggled when he was brought on against Bayern Munich, and was handed the misfortune of being subbed off again half an hour after coming on, having made no impact on proceedings and summing up his inconsistent spell in the midlands to date since joining the Premier League from Bayer Leverkusen two summers ago.
Meanwhile, Jadon Philogene impressed, but on the opposite flank both Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey prefer to move centrally, leaving a congested central area of the pitch and little natural width.
The same is true when club captain John McGinn returns from injury, and though it works for the majority of games, there are times where Villa look lopsided and a little toothless in attack, something that even Jhon Duran’s heroics cannot always save.
The issue comes just months after Villa sanctioned the sale of Diaby, with the Frenchman joining Al-Ittihad in a massive £60m deal that helped balance the books in the midlands.
Now, the club are on the hunt for reinforcements in midfield and in wide areas, with Emery seemingly not keen to trust Ian Maatsen in a more forward role after his big-money move from Chelsea to Villa Park.
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That comes in the shape of versatile Atletico Madrid winger Samuel Lino, who is reportedly in the sights of Emery and co at Villa Park after they never really replaced Diaby in the summer.
The 24-year-old impressed as a forward in the Portuguese league, prompting Diego Simeone’s side to shell out €6.5m to bring him to the Wanda Metropolitano in 2022 before loaning him out to Valencia.
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In Spain however, he has been used more as a wingback than a winger, something that would be unlikely at Villa Park given Maatsen’s signing and Lucas Digne’s position in the squad.
As it stands, his £20,000 a week deal comes to an end in 2027 with the side from the Spanish capital, but Villa are keen to sign him much sooner.
Samuel Lino at Atletico Madrid
Appearances
55
Goals
8
Assists
8
Yellow Cards
4
According to Football Insider, Emery “wants to improve his attacking options in the January transfer window”, though he recognises a deal for Lino may be tricky midway through the campaign.
As a result, it is thought that the Villans “will have to be patient and wait to try and sign Lino in the summer transfer window”, while his price may well increase should he impress for Simeone’s side between now and then.
Meanwhile, another strong season for Villa could well allow them to move to a more household name in attack should they wish to, with the club aiming to break into the big six for good and prove that last season was not just a purple patch for the club.