Aston Villa and Spurs handed transfer boost over €40m former Rangers star

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are said to have ‘concrete’ interest in signing PSV’s USA international Malik Tillman.

According to a Twitter post on Sunday evening from Sky Germany journalist Florrian Plettenberg, both Villa and Spurs have shown an interest in signing the midfielder. There have been concrete enquiries for a potential transfer this winter.

The 22-year-old reportedly sees the Premier League as a goal, but a move in January is unlikely if either club wants a deal done quickly. He has a release clause which only becomes active at the end of the campaign, and is believed to be between €30-40 million.

A bit of good news for the Premier League duo however is that despite Bayern Munich holding a buy-back option and the ability to match an offer, they currently have no plans to bring him back. Tillman joined PSV permanently in the summer in a move worth around £12m having joined them on loan in 2023.

Tillman began his career at Bayern, but made just seven appearances for their first-team. He had a loan spell at Rangers during the 2022/23 season and was a hit at Ibrox, getting 12 goals and five assists for the Scottish Premiership outfit.

Rangers almost signed Tillman permanently, but Bayern had second thoughts on the arrangement. They received £1m in compensation, as well as a 10% sell-on-fee from the recent deal which saw Tillman go to PSV in 2024.

Tillman has performed well for PSV this season, and has so far got eight goals and four assists, and is contracted to his club until the summer of 2028. His team find themselves top of the Eredivisie by seven points, and he will want to be playing regularly with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.

If Villa are to act on their interest then a summer move seems the most likely outcome. Villa are unlikely to spend big in the January transfer window unless they can raise money through player sales. They are bound by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, which forced the sales of Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby.