Aston Villa transfer speculation links club with move for AC Milan star
Aston Villa are interested in a transfer for AC Milan’s Belgian winger Alexis Saelemaekers, according to reports.
The 26-year-old has just returned to Milan from Roma, where he played on loan last season. He’s understood to be part of Max Allegri’s plans but reports link Villa with a possible approach.
Allegri hasn’t yet addressed Saelemaekers’ prospects and any contact from Villa would hinge on the fact that he has two years left on his contract at San Siro.
San Siro struggles
Saelemaekers signed for Milan in the summer of 2020 and has featured in 141 games, contributing 10 goals and 14 assists in total. However, the former Anderlecht man struggled for consistency.
But there were times when he displayed a glimpse of bright promise, such as his goal against Roma to help Milan snatch a 3-3 draw in the 2020/21 campaign.
His best season at San Siro was 2022/23, when he netted four goals and provided three assists in 38 games. Saelemaekers was part of the squad when Milan won Serie A under Stefano Pioli but he only scored two goals and claimed three assists in 46 games.
During his loan stints at Bologna and Roma, Saelemaekers found his form. He was part of the rise of Thiago Motta’s Bologna, finishing third in the 2023/24 Serie A standings.
The winger, who has 16 international caps, managed to adapt to Motta’s unorthodox formation. He was deployed as a left winger who could cut inside into the penalty area and was one of the important players in Motta’s squad.
Saelemaekers apparently wanted to stay at the Renato Dall’ara but Motta left for the Juventus job and his successor, Vincenzo Italiano, was not so keen on him.
Thus, he returned to San Siro but was loaned out again, this time to Roma. Once again, he was in good form with the Giallorossi, with seven goals and seven assists in 31 games. The Belgian winger rose to prominence after an ankle injury during his time with the capital club.
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