‘Emery Explained’ – Aston Villa Boss Makes Key Intervention In Transfer Chase | OneFootball

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Unai Emery has played a key role in warming up Rafael Leao to a move to Aston Villa over Galatasaray.

Villa and Galatasaray are currently going head to head for the Portugal international attacker, who is expected to leave AC Milan this summer.

Galatasaray looked to be firmly in pole position, with a personal term package worth €12m per year hugely tempting for Leao and a deal in place with AC Milan.

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Aston Villa though have seized back the moment and despite Galatasaray having further talks with Leao’s camp on Thursday and the player wanting more time to think, now look to be in the lead.

It did emerge that Emery had personally involved himself in the chase for Leao and now that looks to have had an impact.

According to Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Leao ‘has started to warm up to the idea of joining Aston Villa’ following talks with Emery.

‘Emery explained’ to the Portuguese attacker how he will be used in the Aston Villa side and sold a switch to Villa Park to him.

Leao now looks on course to make his final decision within the next 24 hours.

If he does move to Aston Villa then he will earn less than he would in Turkey, with figures of €7m and €8m being banded around.

Aston Villa are moving to strengthen in attack amid Ollie Watkins leaving for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

Nicolas Jackson, a long time Emery target, is set to join from Chelsea and has already been tipped to potentially take his game to elite level in the Midlands.

Villa also need to recruit at centre-back following the exit of Ezri Konsa.

They had been working to sign Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge, but Crystal Palace look to have hijacked that swoop by offering better terms to the Belgians.

Other irons are in the fire, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis a possibility, as is Fikayo Tomori who, like Leao, is on the books at AC Milan.