Aston Villa are pushing to sign a French international this month, according to reports
Sign up to our BirminghamWorld Today newsletter
Sign up
Thank you for signing up!
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to BirminghamWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Submitting...
Aston Villa are competing with Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of French defender Pierre Kalulu, according to reports in Italy.
Calciomercato claims the two Premier League sides have placed Kalulu on their radar and have identified him as someone that could help boost their chances of success in the league and Europe in the remaining months of the campaign.
Aston Villa have so far strengthened their group with a move for Brazilian wonderkid Alysson Edward after enticing him to the West Midlands from Gremio while they have also attempted to future proof the centre forward position with a move for teenager Brian Madjo after his rise through the FC Metz academy.
The Villains are actively working on signing a senior striker as well with a move for Tammy Abraham being mooted, while they could still go back in for another central midfielder after missing out on Conor Gallagher to Tottenham.
Unai Emery’s side were very busy last January and still have work to do this time around as well, with defence being another area the Spaniard wants to improve.
Aston Villa linked with Kalulu
Aston Villa are believed to be admirers of Juventus defender Kalulu. The 25-year-old came through the academy at Lyon but has played all of his professional matches in Italy.
He made his debut at AC Milan during the 2020/21 season and formed a big part of the team which lifted the Serie A title the following season to end the club’s 11-year wait for a league title.
Kalulu started out as a right-back at AC Milan but has proven throughout his career that he’s equally comfortable playing as a central defender. He’s only on occasion even acted as a left-back to help his team when they are low on numbers due to injuries.
The defender played a combined total of 112 matches for Milan scoring three times and assisting the same amount before making the move to Juventus in 2024 after an injury-hit final term at the San Siro.
He’s been a regular for Juventus over the last two seasons and has already featured in 70 matches in total. This season in particular has been eye-catching with the defender featuring in 27 matches, mainly as a starter, while contributing a goal and four assists in total.
How much is Kalulu likely to cost?
Calciomercato reports that Kalulu could be available for a figure of around 30 million euro (£26.4m) this month. They insist this figure is certainly affordable for Aston Villa and Tottenham, while Manchester United could also emerge with an offer of their own.
It’s not yet clear if Kalulu is open to leaving Italian football. He’s a regular for Juventus and a part of a team that’s competing in the Champions League and chasing a league title.
However, the opportunity to play in the Premier League could be something that appeals to Kalulu at this stage of his career.