Aston Villa have made a shock enquiry for Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski as a potential replacement for Moussa Diaby, according to reports.
France international Diaby has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, with Italian journalist Rudy Galetti reporting that Villa and Al Ittihad have already agreed terms, while the player has reached a verbal agreement.
That will leave Unai Emery in serious need of a high-quality winger after he guided Aston Villa to Champions League qualification.
One such name to have been whispered has been Spain’s Euro 2024 star Nico Williams, although his high wage demands look to have put Villa off.
Aston Villa to sign Kulusevski?
It looks like Villa will fail in their attempts to sign Willams, but Spurs winger Kulusevski has emerged as another potential replacement for Diaby.
According to a report from Football Transfers (via TBR), Villa have contacted Spurs regarding a possible move for Kulusevski this summer.
However, it’s understood there is no pressure for Tottenham to sell the Sweden international, who still has four years left to run on his contract.
Kulusevski joined Spurs on loan from Juventus for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and the whole of the following season. That loan was made permanent for £25m (via BBC Sport) in the summer of 2023.
The 24-year-old has so far notched 15 goals and 19 assists in 96 appearances across all competitions for the Lilywhites, becoming a fan favourite thanks to his creativity and high work rate.
But despite his popularity and Tottenham’s strong negotiating position, Football Transfers’ report also states that the London club have begun discussions to sign Portugal international Pedro Neto from Wolves this summer — potentially boosting Villa’s chances of landing Kulusevski.