Aston Villa are targeting West Ham United midfielder Crysencio Summerville and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ibrahim Mbaye as potential replacements for Morgan Rogers, who is set to join Chelsea after the club accepted a £117 million bid.
Rogers departure and Villa's transfer activity
Rogers, 23, becomes the latest player to leave Villa Park following Youri Tielemans' move to Manchester United for £35 million and Donyell Malen's permanent transfer to Roma for around £21 million. Unai Emery's side have already strengthened their midfield with the arrivals of Switzerland World Cup star Johan Manzambi and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Joao Gomes, but replacing Rogers is the next priority.
Potential replacements identified
According to The Athletic, Mbaye and Summerville have been identified as potential replacements. However, Summerville is also being pursued by Roma, where he would join Malen. Villa could still hijack that deal with a large bid, similar to how Chelsea beat Arsenal to Rogers. Summerville enjoyed an excellent World Cup with the Netherlands, scoring twice and assisting twice in four appearances. His performances for West Ham and his country also attracted interest from Manchester United. West Ham value him at around £50 million, having recently rejected an offer of about £39 million.
Financial boost from Rogers sale
The cash injection from Rogers' deal could help Villa put down a firm bid for Summerville, who contributed five goals and four assists in 31 Premier League appearances last season. Meanwhile, Mbaye is also in demand. The 18-year-old came off the bench to score against France in Senegal's 3-1 loss in their World Cup opener. He then appeared in their next three matches: a 3-2 loss to Norway, a 5-0 win over Iraq, and a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in the round of 32. Mbaye has also been linked with Tottenham and Manchester City.
Mbaye's situation at PSG
The youngster made 24 Ligue 1 appearances last season, scoring three goals and creating two, but only ten as a starter. He is seeking more first-team football after struggling to break through PSG's stacked frontline. Reports from France claim PSG will demand at least £34 million to part with the teenage prodigy, but they are willing to let him go for the right price. A move to the Premier League is his preferred choice, which boosts Villa's chances if they face competition from other European clubs.
