Aston Villa are reportedly interested in former Barcelona midfielder Rafinha, who could be sold by Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
According to a report from reputed Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Premier League club Aston Villa are among the teams interested in signing midfielder Rafinha Alcantara from Paris Saint-Germain in the ongoing transfer window.
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, Rafinha was never quite able to become a regular at his boyhood club. Instead, the versatile midfielder was farmed out on loan to clubs like Celta Vigo and Inter Milan before securing a permanent transfer to PSG in the summer of last year.
During his short time in France, Rafinha has flattered to deceive, managing just 34 appearances in which he has no goals to show for. With manager Mauricio Pochettino lining up more additions to his midfield department this summer, the Brazilian international’s time in the French capital club has now been called into question, alerting Aston Villa, who are ready to swoop.
Aston Villa seem poised to set for another critical transfer market as manager Dean Smith looks to bridge the gap between themselves and the top six. To that end, the Villans have already brought in Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City and are considering another raid on the Canaries for Todd Cantwell.
At the same time, Rafinha has also now emerged as a transfer target for Villa. The Brazilian, primarily a central midfielder, can essay multiple roles across the pitch. The 28-year-old can play in the middle of the park or feature in an advanced role on the wings, as he did for most parts of his early career in Barcelona.
Rafinha’s versatility would mean that Aston Villa have cover across multiple positions in the attacking half of the pitch, while his experience also would be an asset for the Midlands outfit. However, they will have to battle with AC Milan and Lazio for his signing.
Konur has previously claimed that PSG are more than happy to part ways with the Brazilian and are likely to demand a transfer fee of €10 million, which should not be a problem for Aston Villa. What now remains to be seen is whether the Villans are ready to meet PSG’s valuation for Rafinha and beat the competition for his signing.
