Pepe Reina could end up staying at Aston Villa this summer, despite making it clear he intends to return to AC Milan once his loan deal expires.
The veteran goalkeeper is currently on loan at Villa Park from Milan, with Villa securing his signature in January when Tom Heaton was ruled out with a long-term injury.
He’s stated publicly that his time in the Midlands will end when that loan deal expires but, according to Calciomercato that may not end up being the case.
They report that despite doubts about Gianluigi Donnarumma’s future at the San Siro being up in the air, there is ‘no more room’ for Reina at the club.
He current earns €3m a year, and that is considered far too high for a number two, with them instead intending to ‘bet on another profile’, namely Udinese’s Juan Musso.
That would leave Reina needing to find a new club, and that could be Aston Villa, depending on whether they are relegated or not.
CalcioMercato explain that there is no obligation for Villa to sign Reina at the end of his loan, but they do have a verbal agreement in place that will allow him to keep him should they manage to stay up.
That is currently in the air, with Aston Villa sitting 19th in the table and two points from safety, waiting to see if the league will return amid the suspension enforced by Coronavirus.