Aston Villa are admirers of Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu, according to John Percy of The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Villa’s busy summer

Villa haven’t wasted any time in bringing in signings for the upcoming campaign.

Emiliano Buendia joined in a club-record deal, while Ashley Young returned on a free transfer.

They’ve also been linked to striker Josh King and Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse and have had an offer turned down for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.

The Latest: Percy’s claim

Percy shared the news in The Telegraph’s transfer notebook on Tuesday evening, suggesting a defensive midfielder is seen as a vital position to strengthen.

Villa’s recruitment team and coaching staff admire Romeu, however, the Saints will be reluctant to sell the Spaniard, who still has two years remaining on his St Mary’s deal.

Ralph Hasenhuttl described Romeu as an ‘unbelievable’ professional last year, and the holding midfielder has made over 200 appearances for the club in his six-year stay.

The Verdict: Another Smith Rowe scenario?

Villa are keen on Romeu, however, Southampton are reluctant to sell, so Johan Lange may have another Smith Rowe scenario on his hands.

David Ornstein revealed that Villa had a £25m bid rejected by Arsenal for Smith Rowe earlier this month, with the Gunners having no interest in selling the 20-year-old.

Despite that, Villa refuse to be put off in their pursuit of the attacking midfielder and are preparing a second bid for Smith Rowe.

Who knows, they may have to make more than one bid for Romeu if they decide to firm up their interest, considering Southampton's stance, but targeting a player with more than 200 Premier League appearances to his name just goes to show once again the club’s ambition for the 2021/22 season.

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