BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MAY 28: Unai Emery the head coach / manager of Aston Villa celebrates qualifying for the UEFA Conference League after the 2-1 victory over Brighton during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park on May 28, 2023 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
According to a report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are ready to make a move for Brazilian defender Roger Ibanez and are willing to meet AS Roma’s €25–30 million valuation of the 24-year-old as they continue to look to reinforce their squad for Unai Emery.
Emery has been keen to bolster his squad this summer as Aston Villa prepare for a long-awaited return to European football. And the Villiain are not messing around at all thanks to the financial backing from their ambitious owners.
They have already snapped up Youri Tielemans on a free transfer. And it seems Aston Villa are about to make a statement signing at centre-back, with Pau Torres set to arrive at Bodymoor Heath to undergo his medical soon. However, it appears Emery is keen on bringing more than just one central defender to Villa Park this summer, with Ibanez also on his radar.
Formerly of Fluminense and Atalanta, Ibanez joined AS Roma in January 2020, initially on loan, before the Giallorossi made his transfer permanent in July 2021. Since then, the 24-year-old has carved a reputation as one of the best young defenders in Serie A, racking up almost 150 appearances for Roma and scoring nine goals in that time.
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He helped Roma win the Europa Conference League in the 2021/22 season, as well as reach the Europa League final last term. However, Ibanez’s performances last season at Roma failed to catch the eye, and he is no longer seen as non-transferable at Stadio Olimpico. Jose Mourinho’s centre-half options have significantly improved following the arrival of Evan Ndicka, who recently joined on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Although Roma no longer need to sell in order to balance the books after offloading a whole host of fringe players, including Justin Kluivert, to Bournemouth, they are likely to accept offers for the Brazilian defender if there is a concrete proposal on the table as they seek additional funds for their own transfer moves this summer.
Roma have Ibanez under contract until the summer of 2025 and are asking for a transfer fee between €25-30 million, considered too high for the Brazilian’s suitors and reigning Serie A champions Napoli. Such a fee would not be a problem for a Premier League club like Aston Villa, who are expected to table an offer for Ibanez in the coming days.
The player himself is said to be open to a move elsewhere this summer and is waiting to find out if a move will be on the cards this summer. Premier League rivals Tottenham have also been credited with an interest in Ibanez. So the next couple of days could be crucial to see if a bidding battle arises.
