ASTON VILLA are pushing to sign Nicolo Zaniolo to replace the recently injured Emi Buendia, according to reports.
The Argentine suffered a serious knee injury which could keep him on the sidelines potentially for the entire season.
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In a statement, Villa said: “The midfielder sustained the damage during training yesterday and has subsequently undergone a scan.
“Buendía will now be under review ahead of a further consultation with a knee specialist.”
Buendia was excellent in pre-season for Villa and the winger would have been a regular starter in the Premier League and Europa League.
But the Villans must not seek an alternative option.
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Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Zaniolo is Aston Villa’s top target to replace Buendia.
The 24-year-old Italian is gaining interest from Villa who are “working on a deal”, it’s claimed.
Zaniolo joined Galatasaray just seven months ago for a fee of £13m.
According to another report from Marco Conterio, the Turkish giants want Villa to pay Zaniolo’s release clause of £26m.
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It has been a busy summer for Unai Emery’s side, signing the likes of Moussa Diaby only recently from Bayer Leverkusen.
Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans have also joined the club ahead of a big season in Europe for the Villans.
Villa are set to being their campaign against Newcastle on Saturday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
