Aston Villa have been pushed forward to sign Vitória Guimarães’ Ibrahima Bamba in the summer.
Earlier this month, the Premier League side’s owners reached a pre-agreement for a 46% share in the Portuguese club. The development had reportedly seen the two teams sit down to negotiate a deal for the defender’s transfer.
This was reported by Record last week and they further explained Aston Villa have already opened discussions for the 20-year-old.
The newspaper also stated the Villans are willing to pay €12m to Vitória Guimarães.
Operating mainly as a centre-back and as a defensive midfielder on a few occasions this season, Bamba has made 26 appearances in all competitions. His contract is until 2026.
With rumours of Aston Villa wanting to sign the Italian in the summer, Vitória Guimarães president António Miguel Cardoso was specifically quizzed on the possibility of the player moving to Villa Park.
“There is interest from many clubs in Bamba, but, in relation to Aston Villa, nothing concrete. There is no direct relationship between one thing and another,” he said, as quoted by O Jogo.
When quizzed further on whether they was a concrete interest in Bamba in the winter market, the Primeira Liga side’s chief explained: “We received proposals that we did not accept, because they were low.”
António Miguel Cardoso has added he’s confident Bamba’s valuation will rise when the transfer window reopens in the summer, at which point it would make far more sense to cash in.
