Aston Villa dealt double transfer blow as Everton ‘very close’ to £19m deal and Newcastle take ‘next step’

Manchester City and Burnley will lift the curtain on the 2023/24 Premier League season exactly one month from today as English top flight football returns on August 11.

Aston Villa are then in action the day after with a tough trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United. Before then, Unai Emery still has plenty of time to bring in some new faces in the summer transfer window to bolster his first team.

However, it looks like they could be set to miss out on two potential transfer targets starting with Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes who Newcastle appear to be taking another step towards bringing in. Elsewhere, Everton are said to be ‘very close’ to completing a £19 million deal for yet another attacker who was also thought to be wanted at Villa Park. Here are the latest Aston Villa transfer news stories on Tuesday, July 11:

Leeds United star ‘very close’ to joining Everton

Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto is reportedly close to joining Everton with the Toffees seemingly having beaten Aston Villa to his signature. However, the Villains are said to be ‘in the background’ if the Italian international’s move to Goodison Park falls through.

According to Sportitalia, Gnonto is “very close” to joining Everton. The deal is said to be worth €22m, which would be a significant increase on the reported £3.8m Leeds paid to secure his services last year. The report claims Aston Villa are “in the background”.

Saudi Arabian clubs ‘make contact’ with Newcastle United star

Per a report from The Telegraph, clubs in Saudi Arabia have made contact with Allan Saint-Maximin’s representatives with a view to signing the Frenchman this summer. The belief is that selling the former Nice man would be important in helping United fund a bid for Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes who is also linked with Aston Villa.

Despite the personal wealth of Newcastle’s owners, UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations mean they need to balance their books rather than simply splashing cash as they like. Saint-Maximin’s departure would go a long way to making sure United could sign Barnes without falling foul of UEFA’s rules. If Villa are serious about a move for Barnes then it may be now or never, before Newcastle have been able to free up space.