Villa nudge ahead of Everton, Leicester in battle for £30m Serie A ace

Joaquin Correa, Ivan Perisic TEAMtalk

Reports claim Aston Villa head the queue of clubs keen to sign Lazio forward Joaquin Correa during the summer transfer window.

It always seemed as though the West Midlanders would lose Jack Grealish in the off-season. Manager Dean Smith appeared ready for the England man’s exit and wasted little time adding to his squad. And now the record-breaking transfer to Manchester City has been completed, he is showing no signs of slowing down.

Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings have already signed up to completely change the Villans’ dynamic in the final third. Correa could well be the next man to arrive, according to The Sunday Mirror, perTBR.

The 26-year-old has been with the Rome-based outfit for three years. He penned a five-year contract with I Biancocelesti after they paid Sevilla €16m for his services.

And the Serie A outfit have certainly been rewarded, with the Argentina international getting through plenty of work. He has enjoyed 65 starts from 92 Italian top-flight outings, scoring 22 goals along the way.

With 11 goals in all competitions last term, he has jumped to the attention of a number of clubs. Arsenal and Tottenham were both said to be tracking the South American last month.

Dean Smith Villa boss

Earlier this week Everton reportedly made an opening bid of €25m for the former Sampdoria ace. And on Friday Arsenal were again mentioned in connection with the player.

Fresh reports claim Villa have now usurped the rest and are favourites to land their man but Leicester City are also keen. There is no mention of any bid from the Villa Park outfit but they certainly have the funds.

Lazio open to Correa exit

There is no question that the man with eight Argentina caps is an important player for Lazio. He played in all eight of the club’s Champions League fixtures last season, scoring three times.

However, Le Aquile are said to want a quick sale this month and are hoping to receive around £30m. Whether any of the linked clubs are willing to go that high only time will tell.

But he does seem a player who could make a real impact in the Premier League. His versatility marks him apart, with an ability to play as a striker, just behind the main forward or on the left or right.

Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse, Southampton, 2021

He also has excellent close control and an ability to take on players and open up space.

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