Aston Villa beat Newcastle United in the race to sign Fikayo Tomori – sources

Aston Villa have joined Newcastle United in the race to sign AC Milan star Fikayo Tomori,

sources have told Football Insider.

This comes after Football Insider revealed on 11 January that Newcastle are considering a move for the

27-year-old if Milan make him available for a permanent exit.

However, the Italian giants have yet to make a firm decision about his future and

he has recently returned to the starting XI following Paulo Fonseca’s departure.

Aston Villa are thought to be among the clubs keeping a close eye on his situation as

Unai Emery looks to bring in a new central defender to strengthen their European push.

They are currently just four points off fourth place, despite the four teams separating them,

and there is a feeling that a busy end to the January window could bolster their efforts.

The manager is keen to add pace to the his back line,

and Tomori has been identified as one of their top targets as he fits their ideal profile.

Former Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in December that the club have been planning to add

a “top-class” centre-back in the January window.

Aston Villa join race to sign AC Milan star Fikayo Tomori

Tomori had played just 13 minutes across nine league games before the arrival of Sergio Conceicao on

30 December, but has played 90 minutes in each of their three since.

This has caused further uncertainty around his future after an initial expectation that he would be keen

on a return to England and the Premier League this month.

Since leaving Chelsea in 2021, the defender has made 162 appearances for AC Milan and

has helped them lift the Serie A title in 2021-22 and the Italian Super Cup in 2024-25.

That winning experience, as well as featuring regularly in the Champions League and

in a competitive domestic side, is seen as a valuable addition to Emery’s team.

However, as things stand, a deal is not expected to be imminent as Villa await AC Milan’s

decision about where the centre-back’s long-term future lies.