Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid after they agreed a deal to sign the defender earlier this month.
There has been a bit of a delay in the move becoming official, due to formalities behind the scenes, and he is now poised to arrive at Villa Park for a fee of £17m.
The Italian defender will not be the last signing made by Unai Emery before the summer transfer window slams shut, though, as the Spanish boss is also looking to bolster his attack.
More firepower could be brought in to add quality to the frontline at Villa Park, despite teenage sensation Brian Madjo’s impressive senior debut against Paris Saint-Germain.
What Brian Madjo’s role at Aston Villa could be this season
The Villans agreed a £10m deal to sign the youngster from Metz in January, but it took until earlier this month for him to be registered after an appeal, due to being considered an international transfer under the age of 18, despite being born in England.
Madjo, who has scored four goals during pre-season, including two in a 4-0 win over Walsall, will now be able to play in competitive matches for the club this season.
The 17-year-old attacker scored on his senior debut for the club in the 2-1 defeat to PSG on Wednesday night, but there remains competition for the number nine slot.
Whilst the striker will be hoping to make a positive impression on Emery and emerge as a genuine senior option for the upcoming campaign, following his pre-season form, his role may be to be part of the academy set-up mainly.
|
Brian Madjo’s pre-season form |
|
|---|---|
|
Opposition |
Goals |
|
Bayern Munich |
0 |
|
Pathum United |
0 |
|
Indonesia XI |
1 |
|
Real Sociedad |
1 |
|
Porto |
0 |
|
Walsall |
2 |
|
Elche |
0 |
The Villans could decide to take their time with his development, rather than rushing him into the senior side on a regular basis at such a young age, even if that may not come as the best news to the player.
The addition of another player in his position would solidify this theory, which is why the club’s pursuit of a Serie A attacker will come as bad news for Madjo.
Italian paper Tutto Sport claims that Aston Villa are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Jonathan David from Juventus before the end of the summer transfer window, as they look for further signings after Ruggeri.
The report claims that the Villans and fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace are in talks with the player’s representatives about a potential move to England this summer.
It adds that Juventus are looking to trim down the size of their squad and would be willing to cash in on him for a fee of around £17m, but it remains to be seen whether or not either club are prepared to pay that much for his services.
Emery’s pursuit of a deal for the Canada international should come as bad news for Madjo, as it would put another hurdle between the 17-year-old and playing in the first-team this season.
Ollie Watkins is, of course, the first-choice striker for the Villans, given that he scored 21 goals last term, and David could arrive as another senior number nine who can deliver goals on a regular basis.
The £17m-rated attacker struggled in Turin last season, only scoring eight goals in 46 matches, but his form during his time with Lille speaks to his ability as a goalscorer.
His year in the Serie A looks like an outlier, given his exceptional goalscoring record in France, and that may be why the Villans are prepared to bring him to England this summer.
At the age of 26, David would also arrive at the club as a player who may still have his best years ahead of him as he enters what should be the prime years of his career.
This suggests that the Juventus striker could be a long-term option for Emery in the number nine role, and possibly be viewed as the long-term successor to 30-year-old Watkins.
That is why this deal would be bad news for Madjo, who is looking to make a breakthrough in the first-team, as the youngster would have both Watkins and David in his way.
The England youth international may have to consider a loan exit from the club if the Canada international comes through the door, as first-team chances could be few and far between.