Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a Premier League ace this summer, as Unai Emery aims to bolster his squad in the upcoming transfer window.
The Spaniard has transformed Villa since joining the club back in October, and with European football confirmed, the 51-year-old has set his sights on taking his squad to new heights with big-name reinforcements.
The Midlands side have been linked to a host of talent so far, with the latest link being a freshly relegated star.
What’s the latest on Armel Bella-Kotchap to Aston Villa?
As reported by journalist Alex Crook via TalkSport, Armel Bella-Kotchap is ‘attracting interest’ from Aston Villa.
The report states that Southampton are ‘bracing themselves’ for a bidding war for the defender, who is wanted by not only Villa but also unnamed clubs in Germany and Italy.
It’s speculated that the Saints will look for a fee of £30m for the 21-year-old star, despite their relegation to the Championship.
What could Armel Bella-Kotchap offer Aston Villa?
Described as a “monster” by former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl via BILD, the young German was one of Southampton’s top performers this season, ranking in their top five best-performing players as per Sofascore.
While the campaign at St Mary’s was bleak, the 21-year-old managed to shine and revealed himself as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League.
Such claims are supported by his numbers, winning 69% of his total duels this term with an average of 4.8 per game as per Sofascore.
While Saints’ relegation is agonising for the defender who signed on the south coast from VfL Bochum last summer for a fee in the region of €10m (£8.6m), their demotion is good news for Villa, who could benefit from the defender’s expected availability.
Emery has built a strong central-defensive unit in Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings, but he could gift Konsa the perfect partner in Bella-Kotchap, unearthing a partnership to serve Villa Park for the long term in the process.
As per FBref, the Villa ace averaged 1.14 tackles and 0.70 interceptions per 90 minutes, with the Saints man excelling with 1.77 tackles and a monstrous 2.11 interceptions, showing his ability to read and dictate from the back.
His exploits in central defence could complement the ability of Konsa, who has been lauded as “excellent” by former Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips, with the duo capable of leading the defence by example.
With Bella-Kotchap being just 21 and Konsa only 25, Emery could have a partnership for years to come in the duo, who both possess a strong defensive eye as shown by their statistics.
Only time will tell if Villa can capture the signature of the in-demand defender, but the Spaniard could land himself a bargain in today’s market in the young talent who is an established Premier League ace.
