'Second bid incoming' - Aston Villa advance with swoop for €30m Newcastle United target

Sevilla have reportedly received and rejected a first bid from Aston Villa for defender Loic Bade.

Unai Emery is on a mission to land a new elite centre-back after Fenerbahce agreed a fee in the region of £8.5 million to sign Diego Carlos. Bade has been widely reported as the main target for over a week and now it appears Villa are progressing with an attempt to acquire his services.

Transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Carlos’ imminent transfer to Fenerbahce and claims talks are ongoing for Bade as he’s “top of the list” for Villa. Foot Mercato, meanwhile, reports an initial offer of €25 million (£21.15m) including €4 million (£3.38m) in bonuses has been turned down with Sevilla instead holding out for €30 million (£25.38m).

With talks ongoing and both clubs hopeful of a resolution, a second bid is expected imminently. Emery is eager to wrap up a deal quickly. It’s in Villa’s best interests to do just that, too, as Newcastle United have been heavily linked and could make an approach of their own.

Would Loic Bade fit in well at Aston Villa?

Right-footed, towering at 6ft 3in and quick off the mark, Badé would slot in nicely alongside Pau Torres once the Spaniard has returned from his broken metatarsal injury. Ezri Konsa would likely shift across to right-back in place of Matty Cash, or Badé could rotate with Konsa in the middle across the Premier League and Champions League.

Badé is also very talented with his feet, more than capable of picking out a winger on the opposite flank or dribbling out from the back himself. Having Pau and Badé as two ball-playing defenders alongside one another could be terrifying for opponents. That would suit Emery’s system to a T.

This isn’t the first time Villa’s president of football operations, Monchi, has been in talks to sign Badé as he was the man to bring the player to his former club, Sevilla, in the first place. The pair had a strong relationship, as shown by hugs and laughs on live television after winning the 2023 UEFA Europa League.

Earlier in that very season - 2022/23 - Badé endured a disaster spell in England as he joined Nottingham Forest on loan but didn’t make a single competitive appearance. It was some rise to then join Sevilla and become a regular starter on the way to his first European crown.

Bade not the only option, while right-back signing imminent

The Frenchman isn’t the sole target being pursued as The Athletic reports Bade is merely one of several considered by Emery and Monchi. The names of the other targets are not disclosed but it seems Villa are weighing up their options in case the move for Bade isn’t completed.

Meanwhile, Levante right-back Andres Garcia has passed his medical ahead of a permanent transfer to Villa Park. The 21-year-old will join for a fee of just €7 million (£5.92m), adding some much needed depth on the right side of defence.

Garcia, a Levante academy graduate, has been one of the first names on the Spanish second tier’s team sheet for 18 months. He’s yet to gain any experience with the national team but it could only be a matter of time before he receives a call if he continues his impressive trajectory.