Aston Villa have been forced into something of a rebuild this summer after suffering a number of major departures.
The biggest blow came with the club-record £117 million sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, while Youri Tielemans also completed a surprise move to Manchester United, leaving Unai Emery short of quality in midfield.
With the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules limiting Villa’s spending power, the Midlands club are expected to focus on younger, high-upside signings rather than established superstars.
Now, it appears they have identified exactly that in one of Barcelona’s brightest emerging talents.
Villa Preparing Bid for Bernal
According to The Sun, Aston Villa are preparing a £30 million offer for Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season, making 33 appearances in all competitions and scoring five goals as Barcelona lifted the La Liga title.
Bernal, described as “excellent” by Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, has become one of the club’s most highly-rated academy graduates, but Villa are hoping to test the Catalan giants’ resolve with a sizeable opening bid.
Unai Emery is understood to be a huge admirer of the Spain youth international and has made the midfielder one of his priority targets as he reshapes his squad ahead of the new campaign.
Barcelona have already rejected offers worth around £25 million and remain reluctant to sanction a sale, believing Bernal has a key role to play in the club’s future.
Despite that stance, Villa are expected to press ahead with a formal approach as they look to secure a long-term replacement in midfield.
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