“Surprised” – Journalist reacts after hearing Aston Villa want to sign “exceptional” £25m star
Aston Villa’s signing of an “exceptional” £25m star would be a surprise at Villa Park.
Aston Villa’s potential signing of Southampton centre-back Armel Bella-Kotchap would be a surprise at Villa Park this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
Unai Emery hopes to bolster his Villans squad as he prepares to balance Premier League and Conference League football this season.
Aston Villa transfer news – Armel Bella-Kotchap
According to The Telegraph (via the Southern Daily Echo), Bella-Kotchap will be allowed to leave Southampton this summer due to his contract’s £25m release clause
Following the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League after finishing as the division’s basement side last season, the fee can now be activated, with a campaign in the Championship drawing ever closer.
As per a report from talkSPORT in June, Aston Villa were interested in securing Bella-Kotchap’s services alongside clubs in Germany and Italy, with the 21-year-old catching the eye of his potential suitors following his displays last term.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth told GIVEMESPORT in May that the talent had attracted attention from three unnamed Premier League clubs, one of which could include the Villans.
However, Emery could move away from the race to sign Bella-Kotchap, with the club set to wrap up a deal worth £32m to sign Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, who has previously worked with the Spanish head coach during the duo’s time with the Yellow Submarine.
And Jones says he would be surprised if Villa were to “put their foot down” on a deal for the Southampton star, given the lack of movement on a transfer since initial reports of the club’s interest emerged.
What has Jones said about Aston Villa and Bella-Kotchap?
Speaking about Villa’s interest in Bella-Kotchap, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I’d be surprised if this was one that Aston Villa were looking to put their foot down on right now.
‘It’s not one I’ve particularly heard about beyond the reports so far. Of course, there is big potential there, and if Villa were looking at that, then great.”
Would Bella-Kotchap be a good signing for Aston Villa?
Bella-Kotchap, dubbed “exceptional” by journalist Felix Keith, would be a solid addition to Villa’s backline but may not be needed given Emery’s current options.
The Villans currently possess Diego Carlos, Calum Chambers, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings on the wage bill before the expected addition of Torres, indicating that the emphasis may be on trimming the centre-back department rather than adding to it.
However, Bella-Kotchap has proven himself in the Premier League, having made 24 appearances in the top flight for Southampton last season, providing two assists.
The two-cap Germany international averaged 1.8 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game, according to WhoScored, achieving a solid rating of 6.71 for the campaign.
And the 6 foot 3 star compares favourably to his positional peers, ranking in the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for interceptions per 90 minutes (2.11) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.
Therefore, the signing of Bella-Kotchap could only be a positive for Villa.
But with the centre-back department overflowing with talent, Emery may want to spend the club’s money strengthening elsewhere.
