Aston Villa is interested in signing 21 year old, a player who has already turned down Barcelona twice.
Aston Villa is interested in signing a player who has already turned down Barcelona twice.
According to TBR Football, Aston Villa is interested in signing Omar El Hilali
, a right-back for Espanyol who is also a target for Brighton and Manchester City.
El Hilali has made 12 appearances for the Catalan team this season and has flourished in La Liga
Additionally, the Moroccan made an impression during the 2023–24 season,
recording four assists in 32 games, which led the aforementioned Premier League clubs
to monitor his progress.
Villa has become one of the main suitors for the 21-year-old,
who can play both full-back positions and in the center of defense. Unai Emery,
who is eager to enhance his defensive group and increase the depth in this area so the
Villans can compete on several fronts in the future, has been drawn to this adaptability.
At the age of 13, El Hilali, who was born in Barcelona’s L’Hospitalet neighborhood,
enrolled in Espanyol’s academy. He progressed through the Spanish club’s divisions
before making his first team debut in April 2021 at the age of just 17.
But the source also claims that Villa is a big fan and that the West
Midlanders have been keeping an eye on his development lately.
El Hilali may have been lured by the chance to play in the Premier League
and work with Spanish manager Emery, although he turned down a move to Barcelona
earlier in his career, maybe because of his connections to city rivals Espanyol.
In order to lessen their dependency on
Ezri Konsa and eventually move on from Matty Cash, Villa is keen to
acquire a right-sided defender. Given his ability to play both positions and
the age difference between the former Brentford player and his younger Moroccan counterpart,
El Hilali may eventually be a successor for Konsa.
He would join the team’s youthful core, as promising forward Morgan Rogers is
almost certain to sign a new deal at Villa Park.
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