£35m player was never Aston Villa’s top target this summer, he could now move elsewhere

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Aston Villa were interested in signing winger Harvey Barnes this summer, but he was never their top target.

That’s according to a report from the Daily Mail which outlines the club’s plans going into the rest of the summer transfer window.

The Unai Emery revolution at Villa Park is well underway after a stunning first campaign under the Spaniard.

Few would have expected a top-half finish when he took over from Steven Gerrard after their 3-0 defeat to Fulham.

However, he expertly led Aston Villa to an incredible seventh-place finish, with a Europa Conference League campaign on the horizon.

As a result, Emery needs to build a squad that can compete domestically and in Europe.

Youri Tielemans has arrived on a free transfer from Leicester City but doesn’t look like he’ll be joined by his old teammate.

That’s because although Harvey Barnes was a target for Aston Villa, he appears to be heading elsewhere.

This won’t be the biggest blow to the club, who never considered him their first-choice player this summer.

Barnes was never Aston Villa’s top target

The report from the Daily Mail suggests that Aston Villa ‘desperately’ want a wide man this summer.

They considered Harvey Barnes and Brennan Johnson but neither player was their top target.

Instead, Barnes looks set to be heading to Newcastle United instead.

The £35m-rated attacker will be playing in the Champions League next season if a deal gets over the line.

Aston Villa have been linked with Wilfried Gnonto this summer after Leeds United were relegated.

Ibrahim Adel is another player currently on their radar, although no move looks to be very advanced at this stage.

Villa could have significant backing in the transfer window, but entering a bidding war to sign Barnes when he’s a target for the likes of Newcastle doesn’t make sense.

He’s a fantastic, Premier League-proven player, but there are plenty of other options out there right now.

In his short time at the club, Unai Emery has shown he knows what he’s doing and fans will be happy to back whatever decision he makes this summer.