Aston Villa are reportedly in discussions to sign Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma, a move that could facilitate the departure of Emiliano Martínez. Juventus have renewed their interest in Martínez, who is said to be open to leaving Villa after six seasons.
Villa’s pursuit of Suzuki comes after the 23-year-old’s proposed transfer to Paris Saint-Germain did not materialize. PSG had reportedly reached an agreement with Parma and Suzuki’s representatives for a deal worth approximately €35m (£30m), but negotiations stalled due to increased financial demands from the player’s agents. PSG viewed these demands as an illegal request and subsequently ended discussions.
Martínez’s Potential Departure
The potential arrival of Suzuki appears to be linked to the possible exit of Martínez. Juventus had previously made an offer for Martínez earlier in the summer, which Villa declined. However, the Argentina goalkeeper, 33, who is under contract until 2029, is now increasingly likely to leave during the current transfer window. Juventus are also reportedly monitoring Ederson of Fenerbahce and Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario.
Villa had identified Lucas Chevalier, then of Lille, as a priority target last summer if Martínez were to leave for Manchester United. Martínez ultimately remained with Villa after no bids were received, and Chevalier later joined PSG. Villa’s initial preference was for Martínez to stay as their primary goalkeeper.
The club has recently sold Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne this summer. There are also reported doubts regarding their ability to retain Ezri Konsa, with Arsenal interested in the England defender but reportedly reluctant to meet Villa’s valuation of £60m.
Villa acknowledges that to acquire a forward of Premier League caliber, as desired by manager Unai Emery, another significant sale may be necessary to comply with financial regulations. Martínez is believed to be Villa’s highest earner.
Other Transfer Speculations
Suzuki, born in the US to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother, was raised in Japan and started all four of Japan’s games at the World Cup. He began his career at Urawa Red Diamonds before moving to Sint-Truiden on loan, and then joined Parma two years ago. Several Premier League clubs have reportedly tracked him during this transfer window.
Villa expects to finalize the £17m signing of Atlético Madrid full-back Matteo Ruggeri soon. They are also pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha after Amadou Onana sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the World Cup. Villa is also among the clubs interested in West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is another attacking target for Emery, but a loan move is not possible after the loan signing of Alejandro Garnacho.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain has signed Spain’s World Cup-winning forward Ferran Torres from Barcelona on a contract until 2031. Reports indicate PSG paid €50m (£42.7m) for the 26-year-old. Torres scored the extra-time winner in the World Cup final against Argentina and contributed 21 goals and three assists in 49 appearances for Barcelona last season.
Djed Spence has completed a move from Tottenham to Inter Milan on a five-year deal, with the England defender costing around €30m. The package reportedly includes a 10% sell-on clause. Spence, who started four games at the World Cup, had reportedly fallen down the pecking order at Spurs. He signed a new four-year contract at the start of last season but expressed interest in joining the Italian champions.
West Ham has signed Belgium midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic. The 22-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract in east London in a deal understood to be worth around £22m. Engels, who made 100 appearances for Celtic, expressed his goal to help the team return to the Premier League.
Coventry has also agreed a deal to sign Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi from Nottingham Forest. The 29-year-old, who scored four top-flight goals last season, will bolster Coventry’s forward options for their Premier League opener against Arsenal on Friday.
In other news, Arsenal would need to offer more than £60m to sign Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 27, from Galatasaray this summer. Barcelona believes their third offer of €70m (£59.8m) for Rodri will be sufficient to persuade Manchester City to sell the Spain midfielder, 30. Manchester City is also in negotiations to sign Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, who are seeking at least £85m for the 18-year-old.
Newcastle has restarted talks to sign Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha, 31, with Aston Villa and Benfica also interested in the Portugal midfielder. Inter Milan is reportedly keen to sell Brazilian winger Luis Henrique, 24, to fund a move for Liverpool’s England midfielder Curtis Jones, 25, who is expected to cost about €40m (£34m).
Chelsea is demanding £60m for Nicolas Jackson, with Aston Villa, Tottenham, and Atletico Madrid among the interested clubs. Chelsea’s English forward Liam Delap, 23, wants to remain in the Premier League despite interest from Como, with Newcastle and Everton monitoring his situation. Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, 27, has informed Liverpool of his desire to join Tottenham. Benfica is interested in English defender Tosin Adarabioyo, 28, who has reportedly fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea.
Source: bbc.com
