Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Sevilla’s Moroccan international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who recently starred at the World Cup.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on Sevilla shot-stopper Yassine Bounou at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and could make a surprise move for the Moroccan number one, who is “regarded as one of the best keepers in La Liga” by new boss Unai Emery.
Yassine Bounou, commonly known as “Bono,” has enjoyed a late-blooming football career after failing to establish a foothold as a regular at Atletico Madrid and Real Zaragoza. He joined Sevilla on the back of strong performances with Girona, initially on loan in 2019.
The 31-year-old impressed in his debut season at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium and played a big role in Los Nervionenses’ UEFA Europa League title success that season. Subsequently, the Spanish side signed him on a permanent basis in September 2020 for a measly sum of €4 million.
He has proven to be a great keeper for Sevilla since then. An undisputed number one in between the sticks for the Andalusian club, he won La Liga’s Zamora trophy last season – an award given to the keeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio in the Spanish top-flight – pipping Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois to the individual accolade.
In total, he has made 120 appearances for Sevilla across all competitions, keeping 53 clean sheets in the process and averaging under a goal per game. He has also been a safe pair of hands for his country, Morocco, boasting 30 clean sheets from 47 caps, the latest of which arrived at the World Cup, where he played his part in helping the African outfit earn a deserved point against European giants Croatia.
He is garnering some significant interest from the English shores, with both Leeds United and West Ham courting him. Now, Aston Villa have also joined the list of his suitors and are plotting a shock move.
The Villans already have a solid goalkeeper in Argentina No. 1, Emiliano Martinez, while they paid £3 million to acquire Sweden international Robin Olsen’s permanent services only this past summer. So, it comes as a surprise that they are after another keeper.
It seems as though the backups, Olsen and Jed Steer, have failed to impress Emery, which is why he has set his eyes on the La Liga man. Bono is under contract at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan until 2025, and Sevilla are embroiled in a genuine relegation battle as they sit 18th in La Liga heading into the World Cup break.
So, the last thing Jorge Sampaoli would want is to lose his first-choice shot-stopper midway through the season. Hence, it won’t be easy for Aston Villa to prise their target away from the Spanish club in January. He can be a viable option for next summer. Still, at 31 years old, Bono is hardly a long-term answer for Emery’s side and will command a significant transfer fee.
It remains to be seen whether the Villans would want to pay a decent sum for a player who is going to be a backup for Martinez.
