Emery demand sees Aston Villa rival Barcelona for club’s most influential player as contract decision looms
Aston Villa are battling Barcelona for the signing of a La Liga midfielder who is facing an uncertain future due to his contract running down, as per a report.
Villa already have strong options in midfield, as Unai Emery can rely on the likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey, Leander Dendoncker and Boubacar Kamara. However, Ramsey has rarely played in a traditional central midfield role recently as Emery likes to utilise his great attacking ability by playing him further up the pitch as a winger.
Even though the performances of McGinn and Luiz were integral to Villa qualifying for next season’s Europa Conference League during the season just gone, Emery feels he needs one new player in the position. This is to ensure Villa have the midfield depth to do well in Europe and also launch an attack on the top six next term.
Ideally, the Villa boss would like to bring in a midfielder who boasts plenty of experience on the big stage. And this is where Villarreal star Dani Parejo comes in.
According to recent reports emerging from Spain, Emery has told Villa to try and capture Parejo this summer. The pair know each other well from Emery’s time in charge of Villarreal.
Plus, Emery loves the fact Parejo has featured in both the Champions League and Europa League in the past and has also won four caps for the Spain national team.
An update on the situation has now arrived from Spanish source El Periodico Mediterraneo, as cited by Sport Witness. With Parejo’s Villarreal contract running out in June 2024, it is claimed that the Spanish side have offered him a new three-year deal. Club chiefs view him as a ‘fundamental player’ due to his vast experience and the way he dictates games from midfield.
But Villarreal are at risk of losing the 34-year-old. That is because Villa and Barcelona are named as being interested in him.
Aston Villa must fight off Barcelona to sign player
Emery is hoping to use his connections with Villarreal to help his side win the race for Parejo. Villa are also in a much better financial position than Barca, which means they should be able to send Villarreal a larger proposal for the star.
Although, the huge pull Barca have means they can never be fully ruled out of a transfer race.
The report claims Villarreal president Fernando Roig Negueroles has held a meeting with Parejo’s agent to try and sort out his fresh terms, in order to ward off the rising interest.
Interestingly, though, Negueroles has denied that negotiations are underway. In an interview with AS, he added that no player is ‘irreplaceable’, which will give Villa and Barca hope over completing a summer deal.
“He has a year left on his contract and we still haven’t sat down to talk. We are all aware of what he gives us,” Negueroles said of Parejo.
“But we know that there have been other very good and important players, around whom the team’s game has revolved, and that no one is eternal or irreplaceable. Hopefully he can be with us for a long time.”
Villa supporters may be worried about their side signing a 34-year-old such as Parejo. However, he could prove to be an important player in the dressing room next season as Villa hunt European success. While Parejo will not start every match, he will likely put in some solid performances if he does head to Villa Park.
Emery may also be looking to the future by viewing Parejo as a potential mentor for Kamara. The Spaniard could help his younger team-mate improve and develop into a real force in the Premier League.
