Aston Villa will look to sign 23-year-old Colombian international Gustavo Puerta from Racing Santander this summer.
According to a report by Colombian outlet LA FM, Gustavo Puerta is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are eager to bolster their first-team squad by signing a versatile midfielder in the ongoing transfer window, and they have set their sights on the 23-year-old Racing Santander prospect.
Per LA FM, Nottingham Forest, Bologna, Villarreal, and Zenit St Petersburg are also keen on signing the South American midfielder. However, Aston Villa may soon usurp the competition, as they are ready to pay €20 million to secure his services in the coming weeks.
Who is Gustavo Puerta?
Gustavo Puerta has enjoyed an intriguing career path since moving to Europe in January 2023. The 23-year-old spent his formative years in Colombia and graduated from the youth division at Bogota FC. However, after joining Bayer Leverkusen over three years ago, he struggled for stability, representing clubs in Germany and England before landing in Spain last summer.
A regular for Racing Santander in the last 12 months, the Colombian international has made 34 appearances for the Spanish club thus far, chipping in with three goals and one assist. Puerta’s performances played a part in Racing Santander’s La Liga promotion-clinching 2025/26 campaign. He then followed that up with an impressive performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Premier League move on the horizon?
Aston Villa’s interest in Gustavo Puerta is understandable. Despite signing Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes from SC Freiburg and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively, the Villans need another midfielder in the coming weeks. That is because Amadou Onana is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury, while Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United a few weeks ago.
Additionally, Boubacar Kamara has recently returned from a long-term knee injury and cannot play multiple times a week. So, Aston Villa must sign another versatile midfielder to line up alongside Joao Gomes, and Puerta has emerged as a viable target for the West Midlands club.
Recent reports have linked Aston Villa with other midfielders, including Pape Matar Sarr. However, with the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League winners ready to pay €20 million to sign Puerta, a deal for the Colombian international appears to be on the cards.
