Report: Aston Villa want to sign 31-year-old defender who inspired one of Emi Martinez’s tattoos

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Aston Villa got off to the worst possible start in the Premier League this weekend.

Indeed, a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United leaves the Villans rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, and the Midlands club need to lift spirits around the camp.

Of course, one of the best ways to raise spirits at any club is to make new signings, and it looks as though a pair of new additions could be on the way to Villa Park.

Indeed, according to The Telegraph, Nicolo Zaniolo is on the verge of joining Unai Emery’s side, while the Aston Villa boss also wants to sign Sevilla’s Marcos Acuna.

The Argentine left-back is a target for Emery, and it’s not surprising to see that he wants to sign the 31-year-old.

Though Acuna has never directly worked under Emery, a lot of the Spaniard’s work at Sevilla in the 2010s still influences how the team plays today, and Acuna has been one of Sevilla’s better players in recent years.

The World Cup and Europa League winner is a versatile player who can play at left-back or in midfield, and his tenacious and energetic style would suit the Premier League to a tee.

It also wouldn’t be difficult for Acuna to settle at Villa either.

He’s already great friends with Emi Martinez. In fact, after Aston Villa’s World Cup win, Martinez got the numbers 6, 8, 12 and 18 tattooed on him to commemorate some of his teammates, with the number eight being inspired by Acuna.

These two are as close as can be, and if Acuna were to come to Villa, he would already have a good friend in the squad.

Don’t be shocked if Martinez is making calls trying to get his international teammate to join him at club level.