Aston Villa ‘Far From’ Amount Needed For Defensive Target | OneFootball

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Aston Villa and other interested clubs have not yet got close to meeting the buyout clause of a centre-back they have been targeting, as his current side mull extending his contract.

Unai Emery is in the market for a centre-back with Axel Disasi heading back to Chelsea following the end of his loan at Villa Park.

A host of defenders across Europe have been linked with Aston Villa, who will have to advance carefully and with an eye on meeting PSR rules.

They are amongst the clubs keen on landing Bologna’s Colombian defender Jhon Lucumi, who impressed in Serie A last season.

However, according to journalist Julian Capera, the buyout clause of €28.5m ‘is far from what’ any of his suitors have offered.

Bologna are now looking at triggering a clause in Lucumi’s contract to extend his deal for a further year.

That would tie the 26-year-old down to the Serie A side until the summer of 2027.

He made 32 appearances in Serie A for Bologna over the course of last season and also turned out seven times in the Champions League.

Villa got an up close look at the Colombian when they beat Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League league phase.

Lucumi also played against another Premier League side in the competition in the shape of Liverpool, against showing Aston Villa what he can do against the kind of opposition they face in England.

Bologna signed the centre-back from Belgian side Genk in the summer of 2022 and on the international stage he has won 29 caps for Colombia.