Aston Villa take ‘sudden lead’ in winger race, Wolves ‘prepare announcements’ for two signings
Aston Villa have been handed a sudden boost in their pursuit of Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma as AFC Bournemouth, who were said to be close to agreeing on a deal for the Dutchman, have moved for Dango Ouattara instead. The Cherries are reportedly set to sign the Lorient attacker for around £20 million, meaning a move for Danjuma as well is unlikely.
Tottenham Hotspur, who are also said to be interested in Danjuma, are another club set to be boosted by Bournemouth’s decision. Transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Bournemouth has ‘an agreement in place’ to bring in Lorient winger Ouattara, with the player set to travel to England for a medical and to complete formalities.
Elsewhere, The Athletic reports Danjuma has flown to London for ‘talks over a loan move’, with a host of Premier League sides racing for his signature. The Villans are said to be the club to have the best chance due to the winger’s previous experience playing under Unai Emery, but relegation battlers Everton and Champions League hopefuls Tottenham are willing to lock horns in a transfer race.
Emery has spoken very openly about his desire to bring in a “winger with different characteristics,” and Danjuma could perhaps be that man. The Lions’ form under the new manager could prove to be attractive for the player, as the 13 points out of 18 picked up since Emery’s arrival is more than any other club in that period.
Danjuma, who scored 16 goals and contributed four assists in 34 appearances for Villarreal last season across La Liga and the Champions League, has played in England before. The 25-year-old spent two seasons with Bournemouth between 2019 and 2021 as he was relegated to the Championship and then tore up the second tier.
Playing 33 league games for the Cherries in 2020/21, Danjuma netted 15 goals and notched seven assists, earning him a well-deserved move to Spain. The transfer, which cost Villarreal around £20 million, was a successful one while Emery was with the Yellow Submarine, but Danjuma has played just 31% of the minutes available to him this season.
Meanwhile, the Wolves are close to announcing two signings
In other West Midlands football news, Villa’s local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers are closing in on two midfield acquisitions to follow Matheus Cunha (£44 million) and Mario Lemina (£9 million) to Molineux. The Daily Mail reports that a ‘double deal will be finalized this week’ for Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Pablo Sarabia and Brazil wonder kid Joao Gomes.
Sarabia is expected to sign in a deal worth £4 million plus add-ons, whereas Gomes is set to be snapped up for around £15 million. The latter has already landed in England and completed a medical ahead of his move. The club will be preparing announcements for both players shortly, and if the figures mentioned are correct, their arrivals will take Wolves’ total January spending to roughly £72 million.