Aston Villa tracking Burnley winger Dwight McNeil
Villa are tracking Burnley winger Dwight McNeil as Dean Smith looks to bolster his options on the flanks next season.
The 21-year-old is one of several players under consideration in a transfer window where the club’s focus is primarily on adding to their attacking ranks.
A move for Norwich City playmaker Emi Buendia is also possible with boss Smith keen to ease the creative burden on Jack Grealish.
The latter’s future is again set to come under the spotlight this summer, with some reports yesterday claiming Premier League champions Manchester City are ready to make a £100million offer for Villa’s skipper.
But Villa remain in a strong position and with Grealish having signed a new five-year deal last September, won’t be forced into selling their talisman for anything lower than their valuation.
For now the priority is on arrivals. Following the success of Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash this season, Villa will again target players who have either played in the Premier League or have some experience of the English game.
Buendia, who is also attracting interest from Arsenal, scored 15 goals and created 16 more in helping Norwich win promotion from the Championship.
But any move for the 24-year-old may be complicated by the Canaries’ £40m valuation. Buendia’s former club Getafe are due to receive 25 per cent of any fee agreed due to a sell-on clause included in the deal which saw him move to Carrow Road for £1.4m three years ago.
Villa have spent more than £260m on signings since winning promotion back to the Premier League in 2019. Chief executive Christian Purslow this week claimed the club had an “extremely precise” plan for the upcoming window.
