Sides from Italy are keen on signing Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi this summer, according to Gregg Evans of The Athletic.
The Lowdown: El Ghazi’s Villa career
El Ghazi made the move to the Midlands on loan back in 2018. He helped Villa earn promotion to the Premier League and was signed permanently from Lille in a deal worth £8.1m the following summer.
The 26-year-old, on £38,000-a-week, has made over 100 appearances for Villa in all competitions, with 62 of those coming in the Premier League.
The Latest: Evans’ claim
Evans shared a Villa mailbag on Thursday, answering numerous questions from supporters on a number of topics.
He was asked if any permanent departures were expected at Villa Park, aside from Jack Grealish, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City.
Evans said that Conor Hourihane is the most likely to leave but revealed that a few clubs from Italy are keen on El Ghazi.
El Ghazi, described as 'remarkable' by pundit Adrian Clarke, has two years remaining on his Villa deal, and Evans admitted he would be surprised to see the Dutch winger leave.
The Verdict: Keep
Although Villa have already bolstered their wide ranks with the club-record signing of Emiliano Buendia this summer, it would make sense to keep El Ghazi ahead of the new season, unless a big-money bid that proves too hard to turn down comes in.
He was Villa’s second-highest scorer last season and now appears to have adjusted to Premier League football following a tricky first season.
Trezeguet is also out with a serious injury, so El Ghazi, Buendia, Jack Grealish, Ashley Young and Bertrand Traore are currently Dean Smith’s wide options at this moment in time.
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