Aston Villa are reportedly set to rival Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of a dynamic Serie A midfielder who has impressed hugely this season, with his price tag revealed by the Italian media.
Villa’s progress has been one of the biggest stories in European football this season as they continue to battle for Champions League qualification and sit third in the Premier League table.
Unai Emery’s side could still even be considered outsiders in the title race, but club chiefs already have one eye on the summer transfer window as they look to bolster their squad further.
According to Parma Today, Villa have joined Spurs in the chase for Parma midfielder Mandela Keita, but it’s also stated that ‘half the Premier League’ are interested.
The 23-year-old, who plays as a defensive or central midfielder, has started 22 Serie A matches for Parma this term, and his fine performances mean he’s got a chance of playing for Belgium in the World Cup.
Tottenham have regularly sent scouts to watch Keita in action, and their watching brief dates back to at least December, per previous reports.
Villa have now joined the race for the long-term Spurs target, and the minimum fee they’ll have to pay to stand a chance of signing him has been revealed.
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Aston Villa, Spurs tracking Serie A star
The report claims that it would require an offer of €25million (£21.8m / $30m) for Parma to consider letting Keita go.
He is contracted with the Italian club until the summer of 2029, which puts them in a strong negotiating position.
But with Champions League football almost certain to be on offer with Villa, the player would no doubt be tempted if they came calling.
However, it appears that Spurs have done the most work to date on Keita, so they won’t want to miss out and could launch an offer of their own.
Napoli are also said to be interested, and they have been tracking Keita since before he left Royal Antwerp for Parma in the summer of 2024.
Villa have the advantage of being able to sell an exciting project to Keita. They’re flying high in the Premier League, while Tottenham are in a relegation battle.
Spurs’ chances of signing him could also depend on who their manager is next season and whether Keita wants to play for them, but Villa already have a top-class coach in Emery.