Aston Villa and Spurs hit with stunning £100m transfer demand as doomed Premier League side stand firm
A Premier League club have put a £100m price tag on one of Aston Villa’s summer transfer targets.
Aston Villa may need to rethink their summer transfer plans after a Premier League rival slapped a colossal £100m price tag on a player the Villans have a long-standing interest in.
According to a new report from The Telegraph, Southampton are set to demand a fee of at least £100m for promising forward Tyler Dibling even if they end up relegated back to the second tier. The Saints supposedly view Dibling as “one of the best youngsters in English football” and value him accordingly.
The Telegraph’s article notes that both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a bid for the youngster, but BirminghamWorld understands that Villa maintain a strong interest as well – although it is highly unlikely that they make a move at such a lofty price point.
Tyler Dibling interest grows despite steep price
Despite Southampton’s apparent determination to keep Dibling, or at least to extract the maximum possible transfer fee for one of their most talented players, the number of teams being linked with a move for the 19-year-old is growing.
Recent reports in Germany suggest that Bayern Munich have joined RB Leipzig in monitoring Dibling’s progress, while several Premier League sides, including Villa, have been keeping tabs on him since he broke through into the Saints first team this season.
Dibling has scored four goals and added two assists in 30 appearances, although he hasn’t hit the back of the net since an FA Cup third-round strike against Swansea City on 12 January.
His impressive turn of pace and intelligent off-ball movement have ensured that a lot of Europe’s scouts have been highly impressed with his performances, but £100m would still represent an unprecedented investment – and one that teams are unlikely to make. Only nine players in Premier League history have been sold for £100m or more.
Aston Villa still searching for options up front
Even if Dibling’s newly-reported valuation puts Aston Villa off, they are likely to look for additions to the front three this summer, especially if they are unable to secure the permanent signings of loan stars Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.
Villa are believed to have a £40m purchase option for Rashford, who has found a new lease of life at Villa Park but has yet to score for his new club. There is no such clause in the loan deal for Asensio, although Paris Saint-German are expected to be amenable to a sale.
Even if both stay in the Midlands past the summer, it’s likely that sporting director Monchi will look to sign a new striker to provide depth and competition for Ollie Watkins. Dibling would be among the preferred options, but his spiralling price may force Villa to look elsewhere. Villa are currently competing without an obvious deputy for Watkins after the January departure of Jhon Durán.
In other news, Aston Villa have opened contract talks with a key midfielder following his return from injury, while rumours suggest that the club could also make a stunning move for Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Guler over the summer.