Aston Villa are not ready to break the bank and pay €80 million to sign 25-year-old Sporting CP winger Pedro Goncalves.
According to Correio da Manhã via Sport Witness, Aston Villa are keen on having Pedro Goncalves in their ranks ahead of next season. But, they are not ready to meet the asking price set by Sporting CP.
Unai Emery has done wonders since taking charge of Aston Villa. He has turned around their fortunes and managed to guide them to European football for the upcoming season.
After an incredible first season with the club, the Spanish manager is now keen on strengthening his squad. His team has already acquired the services of Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres. With his midfield and defence almost sorted, Emery is keen on bolstering his attack.
He wants to sign someone who has pace and can add goals to his ranks. As a result, Aston Villa have their eyes set on the 25-year-old Pedro Goncalves. The Portuguese international was on fire last season. He featured in a total of 51 matches and contributed towards 35 goals.
He found the back of the net on 20 occasions and registered 15 assists in around 4,200 minutes that he spent on the pitch. His impressive performances have not gone unnoticed, and there is a lot of interest in the 25-year-old’s services.
But, with his contract running until the summer of 2026, the Portuguese club are the one who will have all the power on the negotiation table. Sporting are in no rush of letting him leave, as they consider him an integral part of their future. And, even the player is happy with the project at hand.
As a result, they are using his €80 million release clause as his price tag. But, Aston Villa are not ready to meet their demands. They only want to pay €40 million for his services. When Unai Emery’s team met the player’s representatives in the recent past, they had already signalled that they will only spend between €40-50 million.
Aston Villa are unlikely to strike a deal with Sporting unless they decide to spend around €80 million. As a result, Goncalves seems all set to stay at the club for another season. So Moussa Diaby might be the player to bolster their attack, and they are preparing their second bid to sign him.
