Gerard Deulofeu’s agent addresses €25m Aston Villa links

BirminghamLive brings you the latest Aston Villa news as this former Everton and Barceloan man is linked with a return to the Premier League

Brian Dick Football Writer

09:04, 12 Jan 2023

Gerard Deulofeu of Udinese(Image: Getty Images)

Gerard Deulofeu’s agent has gone on the record regarding stories linking Aston Villa with a move for the talented winger.

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BirminghamLive revealed at the end of last year that Villa were keen on bringing the 28-year-old back to the Premier League as Unai Emery overhauls the squad he inherited from Steven Gerrard.

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Emery worked with the former Everton star while at Sevilla, when he was on loan from Barcelona in 2014/15 and made 17 La Liga appearances that season.

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READ: Aston Villa announce first January signing as Unai Emery gets transfer wish

READ: Unai Emery's plan for Alex Moreno after Aston Villa complete first January transfer

Deulofeu is in the best form of his career at Udinese and has so far this term chipped in with three goals and seven assists in 17 matches, mostly playing up front. That comes after he scored 13 in 35 Serie A appearances last season, having signed for the Italian outfit in October 2020.

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Within a few months of arriving on loan he joined permanently and remains under contract until the summer of 2024. However, after speculation linking him with a move away last summer, with a fee reported to be €25 million, he could leave in this transfer window and representative Alberto Botines spoke to Messaggero Veneto about the prospect.

Asked about Deulofeu’s future, the Spaniard confirmed: "There has been an interest from Aston Villa, but nothing concrete".

For now though Deulofeuis set to return to the Udinese line-up after missing a couple of matches through injury.

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Villa have made their first signing of the Emery era, a £12m move for Real Betis left back Alex Moreno. He will compete for a starting spot with Lucas Digne. Emery is a big fan of the Spanish full-back and instructed the club's recruitment staff to pursue a move for the 29-year-old after taking over from Gerrard in November.

For his part Deulofeu has had a nomadic career, starting out at Barcelona before going on loan to Everton then joining the Goodison Park outfit permanently in 2015. The Toffees loaned him to AC Milan, he returned to Barca in 2017 and was then sold to Watford in 2018. He moved from Watford after their relegation in 2020.

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