Aston Villa ahead of Man Utd in race to sign spain star with €80m release clause

Since Unai Emery took charge of Aston Villa, they have regularly looked to La Liga in their search for new signings. Only one has arrived so far (Alex Moreno, signed from Real Betis), but that number could be replenished in 2025.

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are very interested in a move for Athletic Club midfielder Oihan Sancet. The 24-year-old, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United, has scored five goals in 12 games this season.

According to the report, Aston Villa would prefer to strike a favorable deal for Sancet rather than execute his €80 million release clause. However, Athletic are known for being tough negotiators so achieving this target would not be easy, especially as the four-time Spain international is considered an indispensable player at San Mames.

It would be surprising if anyone were to tempt Sancet to leave Athletic Club in 2025 as he seems well settled in Bilbao. Moreover, there is no clear pressure to sell, as he still has seven and a half years left on his contract.