Aston Villa and Newcastle United are keen on signing Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios but will need to talk the German side into a deal.
That’s according to SportBILD, who say any negotiation would have to start at €40m, which is the ‘aggressive’ midfielder’s current market value.
They explain that Palacios, who arrived at the German club from River Plate at the beginning of 2020 for €17m, has developed into a real star under Xabi Alonso over the last year or so, establishing himself as a key player in the middle of the park.
He’s already won the World Cup as part of Argentina’s squad in Qatar and now has a growing list of suitors, with Aston Villa and Newcastle both ‘dealing with’ the midfielder.
The two teams keen on a deal in the summer but Leverkusen’s willing to sell at this moment in time is low and they would only open negotiations at €40m minimum.
The likelihood, though, is that it will take more than that to secure the player’s signature.
Whether Aston Villa or Newcastle have the funds is up for debate. Villa have certainly shown a willingness to splash the cash for Unai Emery since his arrival, but the Magpies may be hamstrung by FFP issues unless they can secure a major sale first.
Either way, both are in the mix for Palacios, who is one of several Leverkusen stars who could be on the move thanks to their superb season so far.
