Aston Villa to 'sit down' with club over talks to sign 9-assist winger this summer after 'stepping up a gear'

Aston Villa are looking to replace versatile regular Nicolò Zaniolo at the end of the season, as he prepares to return to his parent club following his loan spell in the Premier League.

While the Italian international has produced two important performances — scoring equalising goals against Sheffield United and West Ham — he has struggled to regularly impress Unai Emery and co since joining from Galatasaray last summer.

Zaniolo has a buyout clause in his contract worth £19 million, plus a further £13 million in add-ons, but a recent report claimed that Villa do not plan on making the 24-year-old’s stay at the club permanent. The midfielder, who can operate on either wing as well as up front, will be headed back to Turkey at the end of the campaign but the Villans are reportedly considering one of his teammates to replace him at Villa Park.

According to Turkish outlet Sabah, relayed via Sport Witness, Aston Villa have ‘identified’ Barış Alper Yılmaz as the replacement for loanee Zaniolo and they are ‘keen on signing him in the next window’.

Yılmaz, who has contributed six goals and nine assists across all competitions this season, has attracted a lot of attention this season and now Emery’s side are the latest to be monitoring his situation in the Süper Lig. The Premier League club have reportedly ‘stepped up a gear’ with their interest and ‘will sit down’ with Galatasaray to discuss a potential deal once the season ends.

The versatile winger, who can also play at both left and right-back, is under contract until 2027. The report claims that the Turkish outfit would demand ‘at least’ €20 million (£17m) before considering parting ways with Yılmaz, which is a very cost effective price for a club like Villa.

The Villans are currently fighting for a top four finish this season and they are well on their way to doing so. Villa are currently fourth in the Premier League table with 63 points, three clear of their closest competitors Tottenham Hotspur.