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Aston Villa consider taking £5m loss on 24-year-old after bid tabled - reports
By Danny Wright
St. Etienne have tabled a £4million bid for Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Veretout, according to a report.
The Mirror claimed in their live transfer blog on Sunday [9:48AM] that manager Steve Bruce is considering the offer, but is “holding out for more”.
The Express and Star has previously reported that Villa want £7million for the 24-year-old after they signed him for £9million from Nantes in 2015.
If Bruce was to accept the reported offer of £4million from St. Etienne, then it would see the Villains make a loss of £5million on the player.
The latest report from the Mirror said that Aston Villa are struggling to come up with the funds to make additions to their squad ahead of next season, meaning that they are hoping to receive a higher offer for Veretout, who spent the 2016/17 campaign on loan with St. Etienne.
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He made 43 appearances across all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit, scoring four goals and supplying five assists as his temporary employers reached the knock-out rounds of the Europa League where they would eventually lose over two legs to Manchester United.
Football Insider Verdict
Bruce is definitely right to try and hold out for more cash from St. Etienne, but he must not try to alienate them and cause their interest to cool off. Aston Villa need to make some sales this summer, otherwise it could be a very frustrating transfer window for both Bruce and the club’s loyal supporters. The sale of Veretout would definitely go a long way in helping free up some cash to at least pick up some top players who are free agents, but £4million will not do too much to help secure some top names which could propel the West Midlands club back into the Premier League.
In other Aston Villa news, Dr Tony Xia has issued a message to fans about the club’s lack of transfer activity.
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