Aston Villa are reportedly hoping to sign veteran Belgian defender Thomas Meunier from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund this summer.
According to a report from the German publication BILD, Aston Villa have made a lucrative offer to 31-year-old Borussia Dortmund defender Thomas Meunier over a possible move this summer.
Aston Villa need to add more quality and depth to the defence, and Meunier would be a superb short-term acquisition for the Villans. The experienced defender can operate as a right-back as well as a right-sided wing-back. His versatility will be an added bonus.
The experienced Belgian has been a key player for club and country, and he could be a useful option for Unai Emery next season. Aston Villa will be competing in Europe next year, and they need to improve the squad in order to do well across multiple competitions.
Apparently, Borussia Dortmund are prepared to sell the defender for a fee of around €3 million this summer. And Meunier could prove to be a major bargain at that price. Signing a player of his quality and experience for €3 million could prove to be a masterstroke from Aston Villa.
Apparently, the Bundesiga club of looking to get his exorbitant wages off their books. The defender currently earns €8.5 million per season at Borussia Dortmund. Aston Villa certainly have the finances to pay him that kind of money. But it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal across the line.
Villa showed tremendous improvement under Emery last season. But they need more depth in the side to sustain their improvement while playing in four competitions and push for trophies. Apart from signing Meunier, they should look to sign a quality central defender this summer as well. And recent reports have linked Aston Villa with Pau Torres.
It will be interesting to see if Meunier is willing to join the club without Champions League football next season. He might feel that a move to Aston Villa from Borussia Dortmund would be a step down for him.
However, Aston Villa have the resources to compete at a high level and they have a talented squad at their disposal. Furthermore, Unai Emery is a proven winner and could help establish Aston Villa as a competitive club in the coming seasons.
