Aston Villa are considering moves for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall and Celta Vigo’s Ilaix Moriba following a serious injury to Amadou Onana, according to reports. Onana sustained an ACL tear during Belgium’s 4-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup round of 16 and is expected to be sidelined for at least nine months, potentially missing the majority of the upcoming season.
This injury has heightened Villa’s need for midfield reinforcements, even with Boubacar Kamara aiming to return to fitness before the start of the new campaign. Manager Unai Emery already has options in John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Ross Barkley and Lamare Bogarde, but the club was actively pursuing midfield additions prior to Onana’s setback.
Football Insider report that Villa are now competing with Nottingham Forest for Bergvall, who has become available following Tottenham’s acquisitions of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Spurs are expected to sell the 20-year-old to balance the books and recoup a significant profit on a player signed from Sweden. Journalist Pete O’Rourke suggests Tottenham are hoping for a bidding war to maximize the transfer fee.
Bergvall has also attracted interest from across Europe, with previous reports linking him with Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Inter Milan and AC Milan. Tottenham are reportedly seeking a fee in the region of £45-50million for the Swedish midfielder.
Villa are also exploring a move for Moriba, a 23-year-old who has impressed playing for Celta Vigo in LaLiga. While Celta Vigo are holding out for a £25million fee, Villa are hoping to negotiate a deal closer to £15million. Moriba is a product of Barcelona’s academy, having moved to RB Leipzig in 2021. Football Insider also add that Villa are not expected to sell any of their current midfielders this summer, as Emery looks to build on last season’s fourth-place Premier League finish.
