UD Almería’s Dion Lopy is likely to complete a permanent move to Aston Villa this summer, according to claims from Spain.
The Premier League side are keen on the 24-year-old and have already made advances to sign him.
Earlier this month, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain of Aston Villa tabling a €17m bid while Almería were requesting €20m.
There was no concrete update on the Villans’ pursuit of the defensive midfielder until the weekend.
What’s being said about Aston Villa progress
El Periódico de Aragón have a detailed report on UD Almería’s interest in Real Zaragoza’s Yussif Saidu.
Almería have identified him as a target to replace Dion Lopy, who is expected to leave for England.
The newspaper only mentions Aston Villa as his suitor, and they are leading the race. The Villans could pay €15m for the Senegal international.
Cadena Ser relays this claim and shares their own updates on both Lopy and Saidu.
Lopy’s sale is ‘practically a done deal’. He is most likely to move to England where Unai Emery’s side are ‘leading the bidding with a €15m offer’. It’s to be noted an earlier claim stated their initial bid was around €17m, perhaps including bonuses.
The operation makes sense for both the player and Almería. His performances have caught the attention of clubs from the Premier League and the Bundesliga. It gives him an opportunity to make a decisive move this summer.
Almería, for their part, have failed to secure a promotion, after losing the playoffs to Málaga. Therefore, the former have taken it for granted that Lopy’s exit is inevitable.
The Senegalese’s departure will see the club raise funds while also leave a hole in their midfield. The Segunda División side have already identified Saidu as the best option to replace the Aston Villa target.
Lopy’s contract, value, stats and agent info
Dion Lopy played 2,333 minutes from 32 matches last season, managing three goals and three assists.
The midfielder has a contract until 2029 and his value, as per Transfermarkt, is €15m, which is the highest value of his career. British agency CAA Stellar represent him.
