Unai Emery’s admission ignored and Aston Villa dragged into mix to sign €60m-rated player

Aston Villa are one of the clubs in the race to sign Real Sociedad’s Brais Méndez in the summer window.

That’s according to AS, who say Aston Villa will ‘fight’ with other clubs to try and secure the 27-year-old’s services.

The attacking midfielder scored eight goals and registered nine assists from 44 games last season. AS say his performances have caught the attention of Aston Villa, Juventus, AS Roma and Napoli.

It’s claimed Unai Emery’s side and the Serie A trio have expressed their interest with the player’s agent. They have also asked about his situation and the conditions needed to sign him this summer.

La Real haven’t received an official offer so far from any of these clubs. Méndez has a €60m clause in his deal that expires in 2028. Real Sociedad have no intention to negotiate his sale and will refer to the clause if his suitors were to approach them.

Two days ago, Unai Emery said, quite bluntly, that Aston Villa haven’t showed interest in Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino or any other La Real player since he arrived at Villa Park in 2022.

AS haven’t taken this into account and went ahead anyway. Given Emery’s words, it looks like the Villans have been thrown in for drama, perhaps to put pressure on other interested clubs.