Aston Villa ‘pushing hard’ for Premier League transfer that simply ‘makes sense’

The Villans are stepping up their pursuit of left-back Ian Maatsen now that Jhon Duran is inching ever closer to moving in the other direction.

Duran’s sale - expected to be for around £40 million - will give Villa the necessary funds to activate Maatsen’s £35 million release clause but there are still hurdles to vault. The defender, who played an integral role on loan at Borussia Dortmund for the second half of last season, is highly regarded by Unai Emery.

Football Insider reports Villa are speaking with Chelsea every day over the potential signing of Maatsen. It’s claimed the Villans’ valutation of the 22-year-old falls short of the release clause, meaning negotiations are underway to see if there can be any discount offered.

The need for a new left-sided defender is growing as Àlex Moreno reportedly wants to depart Villa Park to move back to Spain and Lucas Digne, albeit vastly experienced and still delivering at the highest level, is moving out of his prime years.

Dortmund could offer competition for Maatsen as the German Bundesliga giants are eager to make the Dutch international’s loan permanent. But they too are refusing to pay the £35 million demanded.

Villa and Chelsea swap deal makes sense

It awaits to be seen if any agreement can be reached over a direct swap deal for Duran rather than separate transactions. With the striker valued higher than Maatsen’s release clause, Villa would still coup some funds but nowhere near as much as if Duran left in a straight sale.

It’s a complex situation, especially as Villa are also keen on Conor Gallagher. Emery has named the midfielder as a priority target to fill the imminent void to be left by Douglas Luiz leaving for Juventus. Weston McKennie will soon arrive to help that issue but Emery wants depth in numbers.