Aston Villa Have To Pay €20m To Sign Their Target Midfielder: What Will Be The Right Decision For Unai Emery? | OneFootball

Aston Villa have made an initial offer of €17m for Almería midfielder Dion Lopy, a player Unai Emery reportedly sees as the new Felipe Melo. The report, originally published by Spanish outlet La Voz de Almería and widely relayed by Sport Witness, sheds light on the first formal stage of what looks like a serious pursuit. Almería’s management are demanding at least €20m to consider any transfer for the 24-year-old, whose contract runs until June 2029. The three-million-euro gap between the clubs is real but, given the stakes, far from insurmountable.

Aston Villa want Dion Lopy

Lopy was on Villa‘s radar back in 2023 before he left Stade Reims to join the Spanish club, and Everton courted him last summer without completing a deal. Villa’s patience through those years now appears to be paying off. Almería narrowly missed direct promotion and are pursuing a return to La Liga through the play-offs, still counting on Lopy as a central figure in those efforts. Selling him now would strengthen their finances but weaken a squad still chasing top-flight football, which explains why they have identified Real Zaragoza’s Yussif Saidu as a potential successor. Lopy scored three goals and registered two assists in 26 appearances this season for Almería in the Segunda División.

Unai Emery’s reasoning and what Aston Villa must do next?

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN – APRIL 14: Ander Barrenetxea of Real Sociedad controls the ball whilst under pressure from Dion Lopy of UD Almeria during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Sociedad and UD Almeria at Reale Arena on April 14, 2024 in San Sebastian, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Emery spent two years at UD Almería between 2006 and 2008, one of the formative periods of his managerial career, and he had Felipe Melo at his disposal during his final season there. The Brazilian’s quality clearly left a lasting impression, and Emery now sees Lopy as that same type of midfielder. That personal framing says a great deal. Managers rarely attach historical comparisons to transfer targets unless their conviction runs genuinely deep.

The right move for Emery here is to close the gap and pay the €20m. Aston Villa will compete in the UEFA Champions League next season and need to improve defensively, with Lopy expected to protect the defensive unit and allow attacking players to operate with greater freedom. A €3m difference should not stand between the club and a midfielder who fits a genuine positional need. Villa ended a 30-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League in Istanbul while also finishing in the top four of the Premier League, heading into summer with serious ambition. Letting a solvable negotiation drag into August would be short-sighted.

CAA Stellar, one of the most powerful agencies in football, represents Lopy’s interests, meaning the player’s side will push for the best possible move rather than accepting stagnation in the Spanish second division. Aston Villa hold the strongest cards on the table. They offer Champions League football, Premier League wages, and a manager who trusts the player completely. Matching Almería’s valuation now, rather than watching a bidding war develop, is simply the smartest decision Emery and Aston Villa can make this summer.