Aston Villa prepare £30m offer amid battle to bring Otavio to Premier League

Aston Villa are preparing an offer worth up to £30m for the services of Porto midfielder Otavio, according to reports coming from Portugal.

Otavio has earned plenty of admirers after contributing to 19 goals across all competitions in 2021-22. There were recently links with Liverpool, but any chance of treading the same path as Luis Diaz has been played down.

That said, Otavio could yet end up in the Premier League. According to A Bola, Aston Villa could be preparing an offer for the Portugal international.

The source claims they could put a €35m (£30m) package on the table, comprising of an initial €30m (£25.7m) plus a potential €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons.

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao really does not want to lose Otavio. However, Villa would be hoping their offer could prove tempting to Porto, who have him under contract until 2025 nevertheless.

Villa have been busy in the transfer window so far, just like last year. They have so far brought in Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara, as well as making loan deals for Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen permanent.

Steven Gerrard wants them to remain ambitious, though, so could be eyeing further transfer activity. Adding a player of European pedigree like Otavio would be an interesting move.

The 27-year-old has played 45 times in the Champions League and Europa League over the years. Villa do not yet have continental football on offer, but Gerrard will be trying to lead them towards that territory.

Whether Porto would accept £30m for such a key player – who enjoyed his busiest ever season with 49 appearances last term – remains unclear.

Otavio a high-profile target

Any potential pursuit of Otavio would show further ambition from a Villa side who could challenge for a top-half finish in the upcoming season.

Whether they need another attacking midfielder after the Coutinho deal, and Emi Buendia’s 2021 arrival, is another matter.

But Otavio is a versatile player who can cover anywhere across the middle of the park. Hence, his experience would be beneficial for a developing side.

With that in mind, the chance to sign him is something Villa should keep working on.

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