Aston Villa chase Barcelona star as Wolves demand club record fee for £60m rated Man City and Newcastle target

Aston Villa have secured qualification for the Champions League for the first time in 41 years and are determined to once again strengthen their squad under Unai Emery as they look to consolidate themselves as an elite side.

The Villains have been one of the most consistent teams in the division, but their achilles heel at times this season has been their defence. This was showcased in their 5-0 defeat on the last day of the season, their 4-2 home defeat to Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League and at various points throughout the campaign in 5-1 losses to Newcastle and a 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham.

The West Midlands side have conceded a total of 61 league goals from 38 league games and are keen to rectify this with a move for Barcelona centre back Ronald Araujo, according to reports from Spanish outlet Sport.

The newspaper claims that Emery sees the Uruguayan as a suitable long-term partner for Pau Torres and a potential replacement for Diego Carlos who is a target for AC Milan.

Araujo has been a first team regular for Barcelona since 2020 and was a part of the team which won the La Liga title under Xavi in 2023. However, the Catalan giants are keen to make signings of their own to dethrone Real Madrid and may use the funds raised by Arajuo to bolster other areas of the pitch.

Barca already have the likes of Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and 17-year-old breakout star Pau Cubarsi capable of playing in central defence so they are open to cashing in on Araujo, according to reports from Metro.

Wolves demand club record fee for Pedro Neto

Newcastle United and Manchester City are both pushing to sign Wolves winger Pedro Neto in the summer, according to reports from the Telegraph.

The 24-year-old, who is regarded as one of Wolves’ most exciting attacking options, has scored two goals and provided nine assists in 20 league appearances this term. The five-time Portuguese international is renowned for his flair and ability to run at players making him an ideal target for Newcastle, who are considering selling Miguel Almiron to Saudi Arabia, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Man City are also credited with interest as they look to provide further competition for Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish and Oscar Bobb on the flanks.

However, Wolves value Neto highly and see him as a huge part of their long-term plans. Reports from The Telegraph add that they have set an asking price of £60m for Neto which exceeds the club-record £53m they received for Matheus Nunes last summer.