Having appointed Unai Emery as their manager a few months earlier, Aston Villa were ready to back the Spaniard in the January transfer window.
The Villans’ owners were keen to redress the situation by throwing a bit of money around to please their new manager, and one of the players that was being tracked was Gerard Deulofeu.
Already very aware of what the Premier League is like from his spells at Everton and Watford, the winger was seen as a good and experienced potential addition to the Aston Villa squad, until he got injured.
The 28-year-old was feeling some pain in his knee, and decided to go under the knife to remedy the situation, leaving him unable to move in January and out for the rest of the season.
That means any move to Aston Villa, or Tottenham for that matter, had to be put on hold until he has recovered, which should be in time for the summer transfer window.
At this point, Emery will likely re-evaluate the idea of signing the player, for whom offers are expected in the summer, according to agent Claudio Pasqualin.
Speaking to Messaggero Veneto, he was asked whether Udinese would be able to make €20m from a sale, considering they initially bought him from Watford for €17m.
He replied: “First of all, Deulofeu’s absence deprives the team of hope, because his plays turned the lights on and his mere presence instilled the hope of being able to change the course of the game. For the market, I only remember that after the experience at Milan, Deulofeu disappeared, but recovered well in Udine.
“He has requests, there will be offers, and then we’ll see, but I think that sooner or later, the investment made in him will be recovered.”
Therefore, it appears that offers of at least €17m are expected for the Aston Villa January target, with a transfer certainly on the table.
Back in January, it was said he had a rich offer in hand from the Premier League club, who were prepared to spend €20m on him.
Whether that will still be the case come the summer after his injury, however, remains to be seen.
