Aston Villa 'sound out' unhappy Real Madrid ace as stunning replacement for big-name star
Aston Villa might be looking at a long-term replacement for one of their most important players
Aston Villa’s strong form before the international break put to bed the growing worries caused by a difficult start to the season, as Unai Emery’s side appeared to avoid disaster and made steps in the right direction.
Four successive victories in all competitions saw the Villans rise well away from the relegation zone while making a perfect start to their campaign in the Europa League, which Emery will be confident of going far in this season.
The Birmingham outfit avoided the fate of being forced to sell too many star players this summer despite a host of PSR concerns, with their rapid rise up the Premier League in recent years showing worrying signs of being slowed down by the Premier League’s financial rules.
Balancing the books by selling first-team players is likely still to be a reality for teams across the division in the coming transfer windows, a reality which Villa may already be preparing for.
Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin targeted by Aston Villa as new goalkeeper
According to reports by Fichajes, Real Madrid’s Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has become a target for Aston Villa as he continues to rethink his future at the Bernabeu in the hope of becoming No.1 elsewhere.
The 26-year-old is firmly second-choice behind Thibaut Courtois and is considering his options away from Madrid. The Villans have reportedly ‘sounded out’ Lunin and are considering a potential move, alongside Galatasaray in Turkey. Los Blancos are said to want between €25m-€30m for the shot-stopper, who committed his future to the club with a new five-year deal in September 2024.
An offer has yet to be made which could persuade the 16-cap international to ‘take the plunge’ and depart Madrid, where he is comfortable having signed from Zorya Luhansk in 2018. Ready to take the next step in his career, though, a move to Villa Park could yet become a possibility following initial links back in May.
Should Villa step up their interest in Lunin, that is likely to spell the end of Emiliano Martinez’s Villa Park career. The report states that the Villans are considering Lunin as a Martinez replacement, while the Ukrainian’s desire to be first choice makes him likely only to consider a move if his pathway to the first team is clearly-defined.
Lunin signing may allow club to part ways with Emi Martinez
Argentina No.1 Martinez might be back in between the sticks at Villa Park at present, but there are no guarantees how long this will last following a turbulent summer for the 33-year-old, who may have lost a lot of the trust of his manager and the fans when he aimed for a move away to Manchester United on deadline day.
Lunin is a younger and more than capable replacement for Martinez, who could push for an exit once again in the winter. Though it appears less obvious where he would go, as Old Trafford is now likely to be off bounds following the arrival of young Belgian Senne Lammens.
Should Martinez still desire a new chapter away from Villa Park as he approaches the twilight of his career, the availability of Lunin presents a perfect market opportunity for Villa to secure a replacement.
In a similar way to how they signed Martinez as Arsenal’s No.2 following some impressive performances when filling in for Bernd Leno, Lunin has had to bide his time as a back-up. But he showed his worth when stepping in during Real’s knock-out stage run to winning the Champions League in 2023/24. He could prove a very smart buy for Villa.