Aston Villa now enter race to hijack Barcelona's move for "technically skilled" £17m teenager

Aston Villa have now entered the race to hijack Barcelona’s move for a “technically skilled” 6 foot 4 titan, who is being targeted by a whole host of Europe’s top clubs.

Villa looking to sign Mings replacement this summer

It was recently revealed Villa are looking to cash-in on Tyrone Mings during the summer transfer window, at which point he will have just one year remaining on his contract, with the Englishman no longer an undisputed starter.

The 32-year-old has struggled with injuries since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, when he suffered an ACL injury, and he spent a significant period sidelined with a thigh issue earlier this season, which allowed Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa to form a partnership at centre-back.

With Mings’ future up in the air, Unai Emery‘s side have started looking at potential replacements, and RB Leipzig star Castello Lukeba is among the options, alongside AFC Bournemouth’s Marco Senesi, with talks have already been held with the Argentinian’s camp.

However, Aston Villa also have their eye on more of an unproven quantity, according to a report from Sports Boom, which states they have now entered the race to sign Twente defender Ruud Nijstad, who could command a transfer fee of €15m – €20m (£13m – £17m).

In fact, Villa could be in line to hijack Barcelona’s move, having recently taken a closer look at Nijstad, due to the La Liga club’s talks reaching a stalemate, having been unwilling to meet the Dutch side’s asking price.

The 6 foot 4 titan, as you’d expect, is strong in the air, and he is regarded as a ‘generational prospect’, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also keen.

“Technically skilled” Nijstad is solid all-round defender

Not only is the Twente starlet aerially dominant, but he is also very comfortable in possession of the ball and could go right to the very top, according to Eredivisie expert Owen van Leeuwen, who said: “Nijstad is considered one of FC Twente’s greatest ever talents.

“He’s the definition of a modern, technically skilled defender and he’s known within the club for his composure and game intelligence. His statistics show that he handles the ball effectively, possesses high-quality passing accuracy, distinguishing him as a footballer with a solid foundation and growth potential.“

Although he is still just 18-years-old, the teenager has already made 13 senior appearances for Twente, and he was his side’s second-best performing player in the 1-1 draw against Telstar last time out, according to SofaScore, receiving a 7.5 match rating.

Ruud Nijstad’s key stats vs Telstar	Number completed
Accurate passes	41/45 (91%)
Tackles	2
Duels (won)	6 (4)
Clearances	4

Nijstad could be an exciting signing for Villa, but it would be a shame to see Mings leave, and the long-serving centre-back is not the only defender Emery & co are looking to replace…