Aston Villa have reportedly contacted PSG with an offer to sign goalkeeper Sergio Rico on loan for the rest of the season with an option to purchase.
According to a report from journalist Matteo Moretto, Aston Villa are stepping up their efforts to sign a new goalkeeper and have established contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a move for Sergio Rico.
The Villans have made a sprightly start to the January transfer window, having already landed two new signings in the form of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne. New manager Steven Gerrard is seemingly not done yet as he has now set his sights on a new goalkeeper, with Rico emerging as an option for the Midlands club.
A product of the Sevilla youth academy, the 28-year-old went on to make 170 appearances for the La Liga outfit, and after a loan stint at Fulham, he signed for PSG in 2019. However, he has struggled for game-time in the French capital, making just 24 appearances to date. The Spaniard finds himself behind Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma in the pecking order and is keen on leaving the club.
And Aston Villa have emerged as a potential destination for the goalkeeper, who has been capped one time by the Spanish national team. The Villans are in the market for a new custodian as they lack a suitable backup for first-choice shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez. Furthermore, the Argentine international has been linked with a summer move to Manchester United.
To that end, Gerrard is keen on bolstering his options in the goalkeeping department. Villa are believed to have approached PSG with an offer for the 28-year-old. The Midlands club want to sign the ex-Sevilla stopper on loan till the end of the season, with an option to make the switch permanent in the summer.
However, Rico is believed to be uninterested in a move to Villa Park as he would once again have to settle for playing second fiddle to Martinez. The 28-year-old wants to be at a club where he would be the undisputed starter between the sticks. La Liga side RCD Mallorca are prepared to offer him such a role, which is why the PSG stopper is believed to favour a return to Spain.
Rico is not the only option on Aston Villa’s radar, though, as they have their sights on AS Roma’s Robin Olsen, who is on loan at EFL Championship side Sheffield United. Latest reports have indicated that the Villans have agreed personal terms with the Swedish international, although any move would require the Blades to terminate their loan arrangement.