Aston Villa could give the green light for the departure of one “unfortunate” player this summer in a potential swap deal, according to a new report.
On the field, Villa beat struggling Brighton 1-0 on Wednesday night thanks to a late own goal from Jack Hinshelwood.
Tyrone Mings’ 86th-minute header deflected off hapless defender Hinshelwood and into Bert Verbruggen’s goal, giving Villa three valuable points and moving them closer to Arsenal in the title race.
However, realistically speaking, cementing his place in the top four is Unai Emery’s main ambition right now.
The heartbreaking win ended Villa’s slump following Saturday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, but it failed to mask the attacking deficiencies that plague Emery’s injury-hit side.
Villa had just one shot on target from 15 attempts in 90 minutes.
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The Villains have made a decision.
Morgan Rodgers forced Verbruggen into an early save after a deft pass from Jadon Sancho, but Emi Buendia narrowly missed just before half-time when part of Villa Park mistakenly thought the ball had gone inside.
Brighton’s Ferdi Kadioglu hit the crossbar brilliantly after the interval, while James Milner took advantage of the opportunity to mark the milestone with a goal, equaling Gareth Barry’s record for appearances in the Premier League with his 653rd game.
The unconvincing performance highlighted Villa’s continued struggle to replace missing stars such as John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and Boubakar Kamara.
Douglas Ruiz’s loan return from Juventus in January provided some temporary relief, with the Brazilian starting every Premier League game since his arrival, but there could be complications over a permanent deal.
However, reports from Italy suggest there may be a solution if the Midlands side want to sign Lewis on a permanent deal.
Ian Maassen could leave Aston Villa in swap deal with Juventus
Calciomercato.it journalist Giorgio Musso is not satisfied with left-back Ian Maassen’s playing time at Villa, despite accumulating more than 1,000 minutes in the Premier League this season.
The 23-year-old reportedly feels left out by manager Emery, starting less than half of Villa’s games across all competitions, and is “unhappy” with his role in the team.
The Spanish tactician does not consider Maassen essential, which could open the door for him to leave in the summer.
Juventus have named Maassen as a potential replacement for Andrea Cambiaso following a disappointing performance from Luciano Spalletti’s Italy squad.
The Bianconeri see Villa’s disgruntled defender as the perfect solution to address their defensive concerns on the left, while also facilitating Luiz’s permanent return to Birmingham.
Villa have a £22m option to buy Luiz outright, which the report says matches Maassen’s estimated price.
This creates a potential swap transaction scenario that would benefit both clubs financially while solving problems for each team.
Manager Emery reportedly rates Luiz highly enough to approve keeping him permanently, especially given that the midfielder’s reliable performances have alleviated Villa’s midfield injury nightmare.
However, signing Lewis permanently comes with significant risks.
His fitness record since joining Juventus raised major red flags, with multiple muscle injuries limiting his appearances in both Turin and earlier during his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
Villa will need to consider these injury concerns carefully before spending big, especially if it comes at the expense of Maassen’s versatility and technical quality.
The ‘extraordinary’ defender could be very useful on his day, and with Lucas Digne in the twilight stages of his career, Villa also need to think long-term about their left-back slot.
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