Aston Villa open talks about signing ‘destroyer’ who Emery personally wants

Aston Villa have endured a difficult opening to the season, but there have finally been signs that Unai Emery’s rebuilt side is beginning to settle.

Expectations were high after Villa finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Europa League last term.

REUTERS/Kemal Aslan

However, a busy summer brought major changes to a squad which had delivered one of the finest seasons in the club’s recent history.

Villa opened the new league campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat at Brighton before losing 1-0 at home to champions Arsenal. A goalless draw against Hull City followed, while Nottingham Forest left Villa Park with a 2-1 victory.

That run left Emery’s side with only one point from four matches, but their long-awaited response finally arrived against Tottenham.

Goals from Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía secured a 3-2 victory in north London, with Villa entering the international break in 16th place, with four points from five league games.

Results in other competitions have provided further encouragement.

Villa beat Club Brugge 3-2 in their Champions League opener and recorded a 3-1 Carabao Cup victory at Coventry City.

Even so, midfield remains an area which could require more attention.

Youri Tielemans left during a major summer overhaul, while Amadou Onana suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup.

João Gomes arrived from Wolves and Villa still have Boubacar Kamara, Lamare Bogarde and Leon Goretzka available, but their schedule will place huge demands on Emery’s squad.

Villa have conceded nine goals across their first five league matches, and another powerful defensive midfielder could provide greater protection, especially during the transitions which have caused Emery’s team problems.

That may explain their newly reported interest in Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoumé.

According to Spanish outlet Orgullo Biri, Emery personally liked what he saw from the 24-year-old during Villa’s recent trip to face his former club in the Antonio Puerta Trophy.

Agoumé played the opening 45 minutes before being replaced at the break.

The report claims his display was enough to impress Emery, with a senior member of the Villa hierarchy subsequently approaching Sevilla to ask about his situation.

Villa won the friendly 3-1, but their visit to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán may therefore prove useful beyond the result.

No offer is believed to have been made, but Sevilla reportedly informed Villa that they would require more than £26 million before considering negotiations over the ‘destroyer‘, as Orgullo Biri brands him.

The Spanish club are said to value Agoumé at £35 million. His contract runs until 2028, leaving Sevilla in a strong position to demand a significant fee.

Agoumé would offer many of the qualities Emery values in the centre of the pitch.

He is physically strong, comfortable recovering possession and capable of moving the ball forward rather than simply playing safe passes.

The former Inter Milan midfielder has also developed into an important figure for Sevilla this season after turning down interest from Saudi Arabia during the summer.

Arsenal and Man United have additionally been credited with monitoring him in the past.

There is currently no suggestion that Agoumé has decided to leave Spain or that Villa are preparing an immediate bid, but the reported contact is significant.

Emery has now seen the midfielder at close range and appears to believe he could strengthen a key area of his team.

With Onana facing a long recovery and Villa competing on several fronts, Agoumé could become a serious target when the transfer market reopens.