Aston Villa ‘very confident’ of signing Atletico Madrid ace after Steven Gerrard scouting mission

Aston Villa are targeting a Champions League star to bolster their midfield this summer.
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Steven Gerrard is thought to have made a personal appearance at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium midweek as Atletico Madrid were beaten by Manchester City in the Champions League.

The Aston Villa boss wasn’t in attendance just to enjoy the football though, with BirminghamLive claiming he was scouting Atleti midfielder, Geoffrey Kondogbia.

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The Premier League club are looking to bolster their midfield this summer after missing out on Rodrigo Bentancur in January, while Marvelous Nakamba is nearing a return to action.

Villa see the Frenchman as a ‘serious target’ and are ‘very confident’ of securing a deal for him.

Kondogbia has made 22 appearances in La Liga this season and has often had to battle for his place in the starting line-up with Hector Herrera and others.

It is unclear how much Atletico would want for the midfielder, though his current deal in Spain doesn’t expire until 2024, while his transfmarkt value is just 13.5 million.

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However, like Villa’s failed move for Bentancur, Tottenham Hotspur are also showing interest in Kondogbia.

Tottenham are long-time admirers of the 29-year-old and previously tried to sign him at Valencia, however were put off by his previous £70m buyout clause.

Antonio Conte’s side may take the advantage in their pursuit of the former Inter Milan man, with Spurs looking increasingly likely to be able to offer Kondogbia European football next season.

However, the report suggests that Villa are very much frontrunners in the race if they are to be confident of bringing him to the Midlands in the summer.

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