Football

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith plots 11th signing to round off £100m summer spend


Aston Villa are trying to sign Cardiff City goalkeeper Etheridge, according to the Daily Mirror.

Smith has already had a £9m bid rejected for the Filipino, and the Villains are keen to sign him before the start of the season.

The Villa manager has already revealed that he wants to sign a new goalkeeper for life in the Premier League.

Etheridge was signed by Cardiff in 2017 on a free transfer. He saw his value dramatically rise after an impressive season in the Premier League, despite the Bluebirds being relegated.

If a move for Etheridge fails to materialise, Villa could turn their attention toward Burnley’s Tom Heaton.

Heaton would be an affordable option at just £7m, but the 33-year-old is unlikely to be a long-term solution for Smith.

If Villa decide to add a new goalkeeper to their ranks, it’ll likely be their eleventh signing of the summer.

They’ve currently completed 10 deals since gaining promotion from the Championship, and have also been strongly linked with Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perin.

Villa were expected to sign Perin from the Old Lady, after reports that Juventus’ sporting director was jetting to England to seal the deal.

Perin made just nine league appearances for Juventus last season, and he’s likely to leave the club in search of more first-team football.

Smith is hoping to sign a new number one at Villa Park after swapping and changing keepers last season.

Organ Nyland made the most appearances for Villa last year, featuring 23 times.

But, he suffered an achilles tendon rupture at the halfway stage of the season, which saw 26-year-old Jed Steer promoted to the first team.

Villa have already spent £115m this summer, after confirming a £15m deal for Manchester City midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The most expensive signing of the summer so far has been striker Wesley from Club Brugge, in a £23m transfer.

Smith has also added Tyrone Mings, Matt Targett, Ezri Konsa, Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi, Bjorn Engels, Jota, and Kortney Hause to his squad.



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