Aston Villa have been dealt a major setback in their pursuit of Mohamed Simakan, with Ekrem Konur revealing that AC Milan are closing in on the £13.5m-rated Strasbourg defender.
An agreement has been reached but the price is yet to be decided. Milan have put up €10m (£9m) but the Ligue 1 side want €15m (£13.5m).
Francesco Di Frisco, an agent brokering a deal for Simakan to join Milan, told Calciomercato in October that Villa were battling with Lyon and Borussia Dortmund to sign him. West Ham United have also shown an interest in the defender.
The 20-year-old has made 40 appearances in all competitions for Strasbourg, scoring one goal and supplying one assist. Simakan has been a regular at centre-back, right-back and midfield this season, featuring in all 15 Ligue 1 games, but his future at the Stade de la Meinau is uncertain.
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Milan haven’t yet confirmed the transfer of Simakan, but they’re seemingly leading the race for his signature, which means Villa’s chances of luring him away from Strasbourg appear slim.
Dean Smith has Tyrone Mings, Bjorn Engels, Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause at his disposal, so he’s not short of defensive options even if this potential signing ends up falling short as he instead heads to the San Siro.
In other news, many Aston Villa fans have urged the club to get deals done for these two players.
