Aston Villa’s January business looks far from over

Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez could both find themselves in Aston Villa colours by the end of the January transfer window.

Uruguayan international Bentancur is firmly on Villa’s radar and a switch to England for somewhere in the region of the £15-20m mark is likely by the end of the weekend.

Wages are unlikely to be an issue given the resources available to Villa, but they may face a stumbling block due to the fact a sell-on clause – believed to be around a third of any future sale – is due to Argentinian side Boca Juniors following an agreement made when the 24-year-old made his £8m move to Turin in 2017.

Villa had Bentancur watched in Sunday’s goalless draw at AC Milan, where he played 89 minutes before jetting off to South America for Uruguay’s World Cup qualifiers this week.

Should a deal be completed, Bentancur would offer Villa considerable flexibility in midfield as he is comfortable playing in a variety of positions.

Standing 6ft 2in, Bentancur is physically strong and happy to play as a defensive midfielder, but he can also operate box-to-box and out wide.

During more than 130 league games for the ‘The Old Lady’, Bentancur has caught the eye with his range of passing, nimble footwork and technique, so it’s clear to see why Villa boss Steven Gerrard is keen to get a deal over the line this month.

Bentancur is approaching 50 senior appearances for his country and will be aiming to impress in Thursday’s clash away to Paraguay and Tuesday’s home game against Venezuela.

Gomez on Villa’s radar

Elsewhere, Liverpool defender Gomez could be left with a key decision to make if Villa pitch in with an offer for a player they have admired for some time now.

Gomez has enjoyed England recognition under Gareth Southgate but he has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield where Virgil van Dijk has found himself partnering Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the heart of the Reds’ rearguard.

Gomez appears to be at a crossroads in his career and reports on Merseyside indicate an offer from Villa is imminent as they seek to add the 24-year-old to their already impressive centre-back ranks including Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa.

Now appears the ideal time for Gomez to move south and start playing regular top flight football again.

Despite suffering several serious injuries, Gomez has made 83 league appearances for Liverpool since joining from Charlton Athletic for £3.5m in 2015.

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