Aston Villa Target ‘Won’t Be Going To Sunderland’ As Move Talk Dismissed | OneFootball

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Sunderland ‘remain in the market for forwards’, but Aston Villa target Lois Openda will not be heading to the Stadium of Light, according to journalist Keith Downie.

Regis Le Bris wants more options in the final third and looked like getting a body in recently when a deal was done for Armand Lauriente.

That move though collapsed over a disagreement over personal terms and Lauriente has little chance of moving from Sassuolo to Sunderland now.

The club are continuing to hunt attackers and it was suggested recently that they are looking at RB Leipzig’s Openda as an option.

Openda could move on from the Bundesliga club this summer and Aston Villa have been in touch with his camp ahead of a possible bid to take him to Villa Park.

Villa though will not have to battle the Black Cats as Openda ‘won’t be going to Sunderland’, with the Black Cats not trying to sign him.

Sunderland ‘remain in the market for forwards’, but they are not plotting a swoop for the Belgian.

That will be a boost for Aston Villa if they do try to sign Openda, with Unai Emery having lost both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford following the end of their loan spells at Villa Park.

Openda, 25, appeared in 33 Bundesliga games for Leipzig over the course of last season and found the back of the net on nine occasions.

He also sampled the Champions League with the German side and left an impression on Aston Villa.

In Leipzig’s home Champions League league stage clash with Aston Villa, Openda got himself on the scoresheet and provided an assist, as Villa edged out the Germans 3-2.

With Sunderland not an option, Openda’s hopes of playing Premier League football next season may now rest on whether Aston Villa proceed with a move.