Aston Villa & Leicester City to battle it out for midfielder with Newcastle United ‘monitoring’ teenager

Aston Villa have joined the race for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare but will face tough competition from Premier League rivals Leicester City, if they are to land his signature.

That’s according to Football Insider who state that the Ivory Coast international is ‘on the radar’ of multiple teams as we enter the final weeks of the summer transfer window but it’s the Villans and Foxes who currently lead the race.

Sangare has been a target for a number of high profile clubs in recent times including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and more recently Manchester United but the outlet state that it’s both Villa and Leicester that have enquired about his availability in the last week.

The 24-year-old, who is predominantly a defensive midfielder, has three years left on his current deal in the Netherlands and will cost a fee of around £20million if PSV are to part ways with him.

He could prove to be one of the final pieces in Steven Gerrard’s summer jigsaw and strengthen a midfield that has already been bolstered with the addition of Boubacar Kamara - if the claret & blue are to land him.

Chukwuemeka to the Toon

Elsewhere and with one potential incoming comes one potential outgoing.

Carney Chukwuemeka’s contract situation at Villa Park remains unresolved and with that, his future remains up in the air.

European giants AC Milan and Barcelona have both been heavily linked with a potential move for the teenager but more recently, The Athletic report that Eddie Howe and Newcastle United are also ‘closely monitoring’ his status.

Villa have stuck a £20million price-tag on the 18-year-old though clubs are showing hesitance to stump up the fee knowing they could get him for around £400,000 in less than 12-months time.