Lyon will demand around €50 million to part ways with 25-year-old Czech playmaker Pavel Sulc, though they will not sanction a January exit.
According to a report by Italian outlet Tutto Juve, Pavel Sulc is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are eager to bolster their offensive unit by signing a versatile playmaker in one of the two transfer windows next year, and they have set their sights on the 25-year-old Lyon attacker.
Per Tutto Juve, Aston Villa are not alone in the battle for Sulc’s signature, as Atletico Madrid and Juventus are also keen on signing him. The report adds that Lyon’s asking price of €50 million complicates Juventus’s plans to sign the Czech attacker apart from the competition from Atletico and Aston Villa.
Pavel Sulc and his time in Ligue 1 so far
Pavel Sulc has made significant progress since joining Lyon from Viktoria Plzen in August 2025. The 25-year-old hit the ground running at the Groupama Stadium and, he played a pivotal role in the club’s top-four finish in Ligue 1 last season, having contributed 11 goals and 3 assists in only 1,569 minutes of game time across 27 Ligue 1 outings.
The Czechia international has been impressive at the onset of the 2026/27 season despite being in and out of the starting lineup, providing three assists in six Ligue 1 appearances to play his part in Les Gones’ rise to fourth in the league table. Sulc’s progress has picked the attention of several high-profile across Europe.
Explaining Aston Villa’s interest
Pavel Sulc has been on Aston Villa’s radar since his time at Viktoria Plzen. The continued interest reflects the West Midlands club’s need to continue refreshing Unai Emery’s attacking options due to John McGinn’s advancing age. The Lyon playmaker’s ability to reprise multiple roles in the spine adds to his appeal, and his productivity can help ease Villa’s transition after the departures of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.
Sulc’s productivity (14 goals and 10 assists for Lyon so far) makes him an appealing target, and his movement and passing ability make him the ideal foil for Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson. However, Aston Villa will face stiff competition for the Lyon attacker’s signature, with recent reports also linking him with Leeds United and Tottenham apart from Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
The Ligue 1 club’s €50 million asking price is not excessive, considering several bigwigs are interested in signing the Czechia international. Sulc’s age profile and contract duration (nearly three years remaining) also reflect his valuation, and a bidding war can enable Lyon to recoup their desired fee, though, as the report suggests, Juventus may have encountered a roadblock in the price tag.
