Aston Villa have reportedly emerged as a possible destination for Sevilla left-back Marcos Acuna.
Sevilla defender Marcos Acuna has emerged as a potential transfer target for Aston Villa. That is according to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, which claims Unai Emery has set his sights on the Argentine full-back as he looks to bolster his wide options.
Formerly of Racing Club and Sporting CP, Acuna has been at Sevilla since September 2020. Regarded as one of the finest wide men in La Liga, the Sevilla defender has had tremendous success under Julen Lopetegui’s management.
While the 31-year-old Argentine international began his career as an electrifying winger, as evidenced by his tally of ten goals and 13 assists in 28 games in all competitions in his final season at Racing, Lopetegui molded him into an attacking left-back.
Since joining Sevilla, he has racked up 92 competitive appearances for the Andalusian club, contributing two goals and ten assists in the process. However, despite having over two and a half years remaining on his current contract, it appears a move away from the club could well be on the cards.
This is because he has fallen behind Manchester United loanee Alex Telles in the pecking order since Jorge Sampaoli took over from Lopetegui at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, with a number of clubs circling around the Argentina international.
Reportedly, new Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Julen Lopetegui is looking for a reunion with the Sevilla left-back at Molineux. Aston Villa have also been credited with an interest in the adventurous and creative full-back, with new boss Unai Emery pushing for his signature.
It is a really interesting transfer link because the left-back position is currently filled by Lucas Digne. But the Frenchman has failed to live up to the hype at Villa Park since his early 2022 arrival. The same goes for Sevilla loanee Ludwig Augustinsson, who has seen just over 100 minutes of action. As for Ashley Young, he no longer has the tenacity and legs for high-octane Premier League football.
Acuna has a wealth of experience, having played in the Champions League, Europa League, and World Cup in his career. And he might be precisely the sort of player Emery requires both stylistically and character-wise as he attempts to lift Aston Villa up the table post-Christmas. The Argentine left-back would certainly arrive with pedigree and his ability in attack would certainly get the Aston Villa faithful excited.
The ability to balance attack and defence is a requirement for the modern full-back role, and the 31-year-old checks all the boxes. The Argentine’s versatility also makes him a great candidate for Aston Villa. He would be able to play in other roles if injuries strike the team, helping them dominate flanks.
He most recently shone in Argentina’s make-or-break World Cup group-stage clash with Poland on Wednesday night, where he rattled Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash with his creativity and bombarding runs, helping his side run away with a 2-0 victory. Meanwhile, Aston Villa have other Spain-based players on their radar as well, including Mikel Merino.