Aston Villa defender Bjorn Engels can ‘count on’ interest from Antwerp again this summer as he continues to be left out of Dean Smith’s plans.
That’s according to Voetbal Belgie, who say the centre back ‘will not be playing this season’ and so a return to the Jupiler Pro League ‘beckons’.
Engels has been at Villa Park since a move from Stade Reims in 2019 but has found himself out of the picture this with no Premier League appearances to his name.
He has a contract with Aston Villa until 2024, but all indications are that he will be moved on this summer, and Voetbal Belgie say there is Belgian interest in his signature.
They explain that last summer Engels ‘came into the picture’ for Club Brugge and Antwerp but did not manage to finalise a return to his homeland.
Now, with his market value having fallen to around €4m, that could happen, and while Brugge have gone elsewhere, Antwerp remain interested in a possible deal.
Whether they’d be willing to pay the going rate isn’t mentioned, nor is it made clear Aston Villa would demand such a fee, just that Antwerp’s interest is there.
However, with Engels clearly out of favour, it seems unlikely they’d do much to block a move away, so expect this rumour to pick up in the coming months.
