11 months ago
163 Aston Villa have reportedly joined the likes of Liverpool in the race for Assane Diao.
According to TEAMtalk, the Villans and the Reds are both monitoring the Real Betis gem.
As well as Aston Villa and Liverpool, Premier League rivals Manchester United and Brentford are also said to be in pursuit of Diao.
Both the Villans and the Reds are flying high in the Premier League this term. As such, there’s scope for both to look at January reinforcements.
Unai Emery’s Villa are currently third in the table, having beaten both Manchester City and Arsenal in the space of a few days earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League and are still fighting on four fronts.
Both Villa and Liverpool would be good shouts for Diao, who has made a real name for himself in Andalusia.
The 18-year-old has broken into the Betis first team and made 15 senior appearances already this season, registering four goals in the process.
Aston Villa and Liverpool eyeing ‘explosive, ambidextrous wide forward’ Assane Diao
Diao began the season in the reserves but quickly earned promotion to the senior ranks and has made the most of the opportunity.
He made his debut in the Europa League away at Rangers and featured against Granada and Valencia in the league as well as against Sparta Prague in Europe, scoring in each of these games.
The 18-year-old became the youngest player to score in his first two La Liga matches this century, and he’s certainly going from strength to strength.
Football Talent Scout have compared Diao to Wilfried Zaha and Donyell Malen.
Meanwhile, Football Transfers has described Diao – who began as a midfielder – as an ‘explosive, ambidextrous wide forward who boasts great movement and skills, while also being a decent physical presence for his young age at 185cm (6ft 1in).’
They also quoted Betis Academy Director Miguel Calzado as telling El Desmarque: “He is a player with huge growth potential, that’s clear to see from his first matches with Betis.
“We could see it when he was in the academy, too… he learns very quickly.”
According to Estadio Deportivo, Diao has a release clause worth €30million, or around £25million. This makes him a fairly affordable option for Villa and Liverpool alike.
The post Report: Aston Villa now want £25m-rated Liverpool target from La Liga club, he's got truly 'huge' potential appeared first on TBR Football.
