Aston Villa transfer news: Premier League forward 'interesting' Unai Emery, summer signing to go opposite way?

Aston Villa have reportedly expressed an interest in signing Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Unai Emery and club officials are currently looking for a direct replacement for Donyell Malen, who has moved to Roma.

However, the likely season-ending injury suffered by a key midfielder will theoretically lead to Villa having to strengthen their options in the engine room.

As a result, it is unclear how much money Villa are able to allocate to a new striker when their ongoing issues with the Premier League's and UEFA's financial regulations are well-documented.

According to The Athletic, a complex scenario has now arisen where Mateta could move to Villa Park and a summer signing may head in the opposite direction.

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Villa to chase Mateta deal?

With 18 months left on his contract and no current intention to sign fresh terms, Mateta is known to have admirers in Juventus.

The Italian giants are said to have moved on from the Frenchman having learned of an asking price in the region of £35m.

Whether Villa are prepared to meet Palace's valuation remains to be seen, but the report suggests that the Eagles are also interested in a Villa player.

Summer signing Evann Guessand has allegedly been placed on Palace's list of potential additions.

Versatile attacker Guessand has made 13 starts and seven substitute outings since signing in a £30m deal from Nice, contributing just two goals and one assist.

Despite adding depth to Emery's squad, the 24-year-old is yet to provide value for money, and Villa may seemingly be open to negotiations over his sale.

As it stands, it is unclear whether either club will step up their interest, but Villa have history of negotiating player-exchange deals to ensure that they comply with the relevant financial rules.

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Are Villa still interested in Abraham?

The report says that Villa are yet to make a breakthrough in discussions over signing Tammy Abraham, who is on loan at Besiktas from Roma.

Besiktas currently have an obligation to buy the former Villa loanee, so any negotiations will go through them rather than the player's parent club.