Aston Villa Expected to Pursue Bologna and Inter Stars

Aston Villa have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League and are preparing for a lavish summer, where they’ll target a pair of Serie A aces, Joshua Zirkzee and Denzel Dumfries. The Premier League isn’t as certain to get five teams like the Italian championship yet, but it’s likely.

According to Il Resto del Carlino, the Birmingham outfit talked with the strikers’ agent, Kia Joorabchian, to learn about his personal requests. His wages are hardly an issue since he makes just €800/900k. His request starts from €4M plus add-ons. The Rossoblù have a €2M internal cap, which makes it hard to keep him.

It’ll be easier for Aston Villa than for the Serie A suitors to meet the mammoth valuation of Zirkzee, €60/70M, while Dumfries could depart for a reasonable sum since his contract is up in 2025. The extension talks with Inter have been challenging, Calciomercato reports.

The Nerazzurri will try again, but he asked to double his salary from €2.5M to €5M. They have proposed €4M annually, on par with Federico Dimarco. Without an agreement, he would be sold for €30M in the summer. However, he’d probably prefer more prestigious destinations.

Our Take on Zirkzee, Dumfries, and Aston Villa

The Premier League sides, not just the powerhouses, are surely a big threat to the Italian clubs eyeing the striker. The fullback’s future will be decided in the next couple of months. A loophole of the revised Decreto Crescita, which might still apply to renewals, could keep him in town.