Aston Villa have ‘serious interest’ in signing Man City, Newcastle target once labelled a midfield ‘genius’
Leverkusen star Exequiel Palacios and Dortmund ace Julian Brandt
Aston Villa are ‘seriously considering’ making an offer for Bayer Leverkusen star Exequiel Palacios, though Manchester City and Newcastle United will provide competition for him, as per a report.
Palacios is a 25-year-old central midfielder who was part of the Argentina squad which won the World Cup in Qatar last year. He shone for Leverkusen last season and is once again proving his worth this campaign. So far, Palacios has featured in 12 of Leverkusen’s 13 matches across all competitions, and has registered two goals and two assists in that time.
Given the fact Palacios is thriving under Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, it comes as little surprise that he is being watched by several Premier League teams. In August, Manchester United were tipped to launch a bid for him amid uncertainty over whether they would be able to capture Sofyan Amrabat.
That report, which came via The Athletic, labelled Palacios a ‘defensive genius’. Ultimately, the Red Devils did end up taking Amrabat to Old Trafford, which means Palacios is still free to be signed by one of their English rivals.
On Thursday, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed that Leverkusen are fearing January bids for the 27-cap international. Villa, City and Newcastle have all scouted him in recent months and have been hugely impressed.
Argentine source TNT Sports, not to be confused with BT Sport’s new alias, have now provided an update on the situation. They state that Villa are ready to step up their pursuit of Palacios, as they are ‘seriously considering’ submitting a bid for him this winter. However, City and Newcastle could turn it into a bidding war.
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Leverkusen tied Palacios down to a new contract last month, and that deal runs until June 2028. However, the interest from the Premier League trio offers the star a ‘tantalising opportunity’ to take his career to the next level, with the English top flight currently the most illustrious division in the world. Leverkusen also have a great chance at selling Palacios for a big profit, having spent €17million to sign him from River Plate in January 2020.
The report does not mention how much Palacios may cost one of Villa, City or Newcastle to sign. transfermarkt put his valuation at €35m (£30.5m), though he could fetch more than this if his top performances continue.
Aston Villa, Man City and Newcastle all converge on midfielder
Villa and Newcastle would previously have struggled to prevent Palacios from signing for City. However, it is no longer guaranteed that he will be heading to the Etihad.
Villa are enjoying a brilliant rise under Unai Emery. They currently sit fifth in the league, just one point off the top four, while they are also competing in the Europa Conference League. Emery could therefore convince Palacios to head to Villa Park, with the Villans on their way to cracking the top four.
Newcastle have had a similar upward trajectory to Villa. After finishing fourth last season, they are back in the Champions League. The Magpies may be five points behind Villa in sixth spot, but they are expected to be right in the mix for UCL qualification come the end of the season. And Newcastle’s huge financial power means they could lure Palacios to St James’ Park with an enticing contract offer.
Despite those factors, City can still never be ruled out in transfer chases such as this one. Working with Pep Guardiola is a dream for most players, while City can also offer potential signings regular silverware. This is certainly a situation to keep an eye on as January draws closer.
