Aston Villa are hopeful that a brilliant double raid on LaLiga is on the cards this summer though president of football operations, Monchi, has warned Atletico Madrid there is a limit to what they can pay for one of those, Joao Felix.
Unai Emery’s side finished fourth last season to book their place in the Champions League, and they will do their best to compete for a trophy they won in 1982. There is plenty of excitement building at Aston Villa and a lot of business done already.
There has already been a lot of business done both in and out, with the likes of Ross Barkley and Samuel Illing-Junior joining and big names such as Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby heading for the exits.
But Villa have two former Premier League stars in their sights, in Felix, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Chelsea and Barcelona, and former Leeds man Raphinha, who moved to the Catalan giants in 2022.
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However, Monchi has told Atleti they will only look to pay around £50-60m for the Portugal international, a significant reduction on the £111m he moved to the Spanish capital for from Benfica in 2019. That is according to 90 min.
They could also face competition for Raphinha, who cost £58m but could be available at a cut-price deal as Barcelona look to manage ongoing financial issues, with Newcastle United said to be keen on the Brazilian, per Football Insider.
Former PL duo to return to England?
The pair had contrasting fortunes in England, with Felix struggling to make an impact at Chelsea two seasons ago. He scored just four goals with no assists in 16 league games, and he didn’t offer much more at Barcelona, with seven goals and three assists in 30 games last term.
But Raphinha remains a hero at Leeds having contributed to 29 goals in two seasons at Elland Road and becoming a talismanic figure under Marcelo Bielsa in particular. Villa will be hoping he can become as important to them if he moves to Birmingham.
Both players would offer significant Champions League experience to a squad that currently lacks it, but given they have both had difficult times in Spain, Villa are keen to work out affordable deals for both players.
Emery takes his side to West Ham for a tricky opening Premier League fixture on August 17, with Julen Lopetegui now in charge at the London Stadium. Villa will want to make a quick start to continue momentum from last season.
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