Aston Villa have already decided where their money for Douglas Luiz this summer will be put to best use, and are ready to act in the coming days, according to reports.

Villans in closing stages of interesting swap deal

Despite finishing fourth in the Premier League and securing Champions League football for the first time in their history, it has been a less than ideal start for Unai Emery's side in the transfer window.

The Villans are allegedly one of five clubs who need to raise money before June 30th in a bid to comply with financial fair play regulations, which saw Everton and Nottingham Forest docked points last season and Forest only claiming their survival on the final day of the season.

Aston Villa told they can sign star who Pep called "brilliant" for £30m

The Villans are one of a number of Premier League sides interested in a deal for the attacker.

ByDan Emery

Villa, who posted losses of £120m last year, are now in the same boat, and are facing having to sell some of their stars to make ends meet before the end of the month. To that end, they are in the final stages of agreeing a bizzare swap deal with Juventus involving key figure Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian will join the Old Lady, while Villa will in return receive 20m euros plus the services of Juve pair Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior, both of whom are out of contract in Turin next summer.

McKennie has already tasted Premier League football, failing to prevent Leeds from relegation during a short loan spell at Elland Road back in 2022, while Iling-Junior is seen as one more for the future than the present.

Now, reports have revealed just what Villa are planning to do with the added income they receive from selling the Brazilian.

Emery's side eye up Dumfries

Reports in Italy claim that Villa are finally set to make a move for longstanding target Denzel Dumfries 'in the coming days'. The Dutch defender is currently in Germany with his national side, and played 90 minutes to help them to a late 2-1 win over Poland in their opening group stage game.

Dumfries is a popular figure in the Dutch side and has drawn rave reviews from his compatriots. Former Netherlands midfielder turned pundit Rafael Van De Vaart dubbed him the "ideal defender" after a win over Ireland back in September 2023.

“[Denzel] Dumfries is our big star. He is really our very best player at the moment, he’s involved in everything,” he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “He has provided seven assists in the last seven games, but it could have been even more. He is always on the move. A really great player. His touches are also good, which was different in the past. He is the ideal full-back.”

He has long been mooted with a move away from Inter Milan, but now local Milan media (via Sport Witness) claim that Villa have 'taken concrete steps' to sign the defender, who is out of contract in 12 months time as it stands and is yet to sign an extension to his £53,000 a week deal.

Denzel Dumfries: Serie A 23/24

Appearances

31

Goals

4

Assists

5

Yellow Cards

2

It is added that Villa intend to use the funds received in the deal for Douglas Luiz to sign Dumfries, who Inter value at 20m euros this summer as they look to offload him rather than lose him for free in a year's time.

There have been no shortage of players linked with Villa this summer, but Dumfries has been a longterm target and with Matty Cash seemingly no longer wanted at the club, a move for a new right back would make a lot of sense, though it may have to come after the June 30th financial fair play deadline.