Sources: Aston Villa open talks to sign newly available centre-forward for £10m+ fee

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Published on:

06 Aug 2019, 1:30 am

By Wayne Veysey

Aston Villa have opened talks with RB Leipzig about signing striker Jean-Kevin Augustin after losing out in their pursuit of Neal Maupay, Football Insider has learned.

The Midlands giants have made a move for Augustin, 22, after learning of his availability for transfer in the final days of the UK summer window.

A Villa source has told Football Insider the club have turned their attention to Augustin as an alternative to summer-long target Maupay, who joined Brighton yesterday for £20million.

Dean Smith's side are hopeful of being able to sign Augustin for far less than the price the Seagulls paid for Maupay, although he will still cost more than £10million.

The France Under-21 international is available for sale after slipping down the Leipzig pecking order last season, his second at the club after signing from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017.

He scored eight goals in 30 matches last season, but just three of those came in 17 Bundesliga appearance for the third-placed club.

Augustin was far more effective in his first campaign at Leipzig under ex-manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who is now in charge of Southampton.

He scored 12 goals from 37 appearances, with nine of those strikes coming in 25 league matches.

In other Aston Villa news, it can be REVEALED that the club are working on a deal to sign another West Brom star.

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