Aston Villa reportedly failed in a bid for Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles, who seems destined to join Real Betis next summer.
According to Eldes Marque, Aston Villa failed with a bid for Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles. The 27-year-old goalkeeper has been in their sights to come in as a backup to Emiliano Martinez and as a replacement for Robin Olsen, as he will now join Real Betis on a free transfer in the summer.
Aston Villa have been considering some of their squad positions more closely in a bid to improve them with quality options in the market. The Birmingham-based side is not in a huge financial position to make big moves for players for backup roles in their team, meaning they had to resort to finding viable solutions that suit their pockets.
One of those positions is the backup goalkeeper, as Unai Emery wanted an alternative to Robin Olsen. The veteran has been a decent performer between the sticks, but given the intensity of the Premier League, he might not be the one the team can rely on for long periods.
Emiliano Martinez remains the undisputed first choice between the sticks, and replacing him is not on Aston Villa’s agenda. They had reportedly held an interest in Las Palmas keeper Alvaro Valles before the summer market, as he was about to enter the final year of his deal then.
The club had retained an interest in the 27-year-old La Liga goalkeeper, as they have now failed with a bid for Valles in January. The indication is that Aston Villa offered him top financial terms in return for signing up for the club, potentially this month or on a free transfer in the summer.
Real Betis to sign Valles
Alvaro Valles rejected Aston Villa’s overtures, which might be for sporting reasons, as he has reportedly agreed to join Real Betis on a free transfer. The 27-year-old Spaniard would not have wanted to play backup at the Premier League club, and he would have thought about the challenge of taking Martinez’s place in the first team.
As for Betis, they might have proposed a starting role for the Spanish shot-stopper, and Valles might want that while moving to a new club. A move to the Andalusian outfit is undoubtedly a significant upgrade from Las Palmas. Betis have yet to finalise the move due to their FFP situation but remain confident of landing the keeper on a free transfer.