Aston Villa now eyeing move for ‘perfect’ defender who was relegated from Premier League this season

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Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a summer swoop for Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap.

That’s according to talkSPORT, with the outlet claiming that Bella-Kotchap is pushing for a move away from the south coast ahead of the summer.

Unai Emery will be keen to bolster his options after Aston Villa qualified for the Europa Conference League this season.

The Spaniard has done an incredible job at Villa Park already, having taken over while they were sat just above the relegation zone.

Emery will have to balance Europe with the Premier League next season and given his record at his previous clubs, he will be fully aware of the need to add quality depth to Villa’s squad.

And it seems that the Villains are targeting a move for Bella-Kotchap after he was relegated with Southampton this season.

Villa eyeing move for Bella-Kotchap

Southampton are preparing for a bidding war for Bella-Kotchap this summer, with talkSPORT reporting the 21-year-old is attracting interest from clubs in Germany and Italy.

Villa are also keen and with Bella-Kotchap pushing for a summer move, Saints are prepared to hold out for a fee worth £30 million.

The likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have improved dramatically under Emery over the past few months.

But Villa will need at least one more option at centre-half despite Diego Carlos’ return from injury.

Bella-Kotchap has impressed for Southampton and was described as the ‘perfect’ player for the Premier League by his former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The German defender is clearly keen to leave St Mary’s this summer and avoid dropping down to the Championship.

He could be a decent option for Emery at centre-back and at just 21, he’d have plenty of time to improve under the Spaniard.