Report: Initial fee paid, Aston Villa close to sealing £2.6m midfielder transfer

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Published on:

25 Mar 2017, 12:48 am

By Harry Sykes

Fiorentina are close to signing Aston Villa midfielder Carlos Sanchez on a permanent transfer totalling £2.6million, according to a report.

Italian transfer site Tutto Mercato Web claim the Italian club are ready to activate the buying option in the 31-year-old's loan-to-buy deal.

It is said Fiorentina paid an initial loan fee of £220,000 for Sanchez when they signed him on a season-long loan last summer.

The Serie A outfit, who are eighth in the table, are now preparing to pay the further £2.4million agreed with Villa in order to sign the 74-times Colombia international permanently.

Villa signed Sanchez from La Liga side Elche for £5million in 2014 but he failed to justify his fee and made little impact in England, partly due to a series of niggling injuries.

Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa recruited the midfield anchorman to protect the defence but he has been used predominantly at right-back this season.

Sanchez has been a mainstay of the team, accumulating eight Europa League appearances in addition to 26 in domestic competition.

Following Villa's relegation he is one of a number of players offloaded in order to trim the club's wage bill.

In other Aston Villa transfer news, talks are to get underway as a proven Premier League performer wants to join the Midlands club.

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Aston Villa

Fiorentina

Carlos Sanchez