Aston Villa are ready to add an elite central defender to their squad this summer after Unai Emery gave his green light to an opening bid, according to Sports Boom.
The Villans are preparing to return to the Champions League next season after winning the Europa League and finishing fourth in the Premier League this season, with the manager now keen to bolster his squad to ensure they remain competitive at all levels.
Central defence is an area that has been identified as needing strengthening, and the club are now ready to make an offer to do just that, with a top young Spaniard.
Aston Villa Ready to Bid for Jon Martin
According to Sports Boom, Aston Villa are ready to make a bid to sign Real Sociedad star Jon Martin this summer.
Martin, who has been described as 'tremendous', is considered to be one of the best young Spanish defenders around, with the 20-year-old making 29 starts across all competitions for the club this season, scoring twice in La Liga as the team missed out on qualifying for the Champions League.
Villa are expecting big changes in their squad this summer, with Tyrone Mings expected to depart while Victor Lindelof and Pau Torres have also been linked with moves away.
Emery is understood to want an 'elite' central defender in his squad to partner Ezri Konsa, and has given his green light for Villa to table a €25m (£21m) bid for the youngster. However, Sociedad don't want to lose the talented defender, and are pointing towards his €50m (£43m) release clause to avoid any negotiations.
The club remain in discussions with the player and his representatives over potential personal terms, but a number of top European clubs are also keeping an eye on the situation.
Aston Villa Can Seal Deal for Martin
Konsa is the leading man in the Aston Villa defence as things stand, and all of Torres, Mings, and Lindelof have partnered him with success during the most recent campaign.
But Martin is a player who has the terrific potential to be able to not only step in alongside Konsa in the coming years, but also eventually take over from his as the leader of the defence.
The £43m clause is likely too high, but Sociedad will be forced to consider any serious offers for his services. Villa know that, and they are very good in the transfer market, while Emery always gets the best out of his players. This deal could be one that looks like a bargain in a few years.
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