Aston Villa interest in departing Bundesliga star reiterated as ‘very desirable’ forward in Barcelona sights too

Ciaran McCarthy
Marcus Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach, July 2022

Aston Villa’s interest in Marcus Thuram, who will be allowed to leave Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, has been reiterated, though Barcelona are also in the mix for the ‘very desirable’ forward.

Villa haven’t been too busy in the transfer market since Unai Emery got to the club. Indeed, just two men headed through the door in January: Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran.

However, that Emery will want to continue to improve is clear. With a good squad and a manager as capable as the Spaniard, Villa could challenge at the top end of the table in the coming years.

As such, picking up some quality options in the next few transfer windows will be the start of that journey.

Villa have already reportedly been in talks with French striker Thuram. Indeed, the forward will be on the move for free in the summer, as Monchengladbach have accepted “there are bigger clubs he might move to”.

That interest has been reiterated by Sport. The report states Villa are one of the suitors in for Thuram, with La Liga giants Barcelona named as another.

The report also explains Thuram is a ‘very desirable footballer’ who is wanted by several clubs.

Indeed, he’s been in top form in the Bundesliga this season. In 20 games he’s scored 11 goals – the third most in the league – and provided three assists. He has also scored three times and assisted once in two DFB-Pokal games.

For Villa, he seems the perfect player. Transitioning into a new era with quality players will be key to their success and Thuram is certainly that.

Whether or not they’ll be able to fight off competition from big sides such as Barcelona remains to be seen. It could certainly be a challenge and with Thuram in a ‘privileged position’ he could have his pick from a number of sides.

Choosing Villa over Barcelona seems unlikely for any player, especially one who seems to be on the cusp of becoming one of the world’s biggest stars already. That he featured – and assisted – in the World Cup final reinforces that.

Perhaps moving to the Midlands would offer him more playing time than at Barcelona, with Robert Lewandowski leading the line.

However, it seems tough for Villa to beat the European giants and there will surely be other big names in the mix too.

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