Aston Villa's £6m bid and transfer plan revealed as Liverpool and Arsenal eye defender target
The AVFC news from BirminghamLive
Brian Dick
Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from BirminghamLive - Aston Villa FC
Terry 2.0
Aston Villa are preparing a bid for Huddersfield Town defender, Terrence Kongolo, according to reports, writes Ben Husband.
Dean Smith has completed his first defensive signing of the summer, bringing Wolverhampton Wanderers' Kortney Hause to the club after a successful loan spell.
Fellow loanee Tyrone Mings is also widely expected to make his Villa stay a permanent one later in the window.
But Football Insider have now suggested that Smith could look at Kongolo, who was part of the Terriers team that finished bottom of the Premier League last season.
The Netherlands international, who went to the World Cup in 2014, signed with Huddersfield on a four-year deal last summer after impressing on loan.
Kongolo was the Terriers record signing but was unable to stop their slide back to the Championship in a miserable campaign for the Yorkshire outfit.
Aston Villa preparing bid for international defender- reports
What's happening at Aston Villa?
All the latest Villa news
Merson's worry for Villa
Targetted
Aston Villa won't have it their own way if they want to pursue a deal for Southampton's Matt Targett, according to reports.
Targett's future has been the subject of speculation for the last week since The Sun claimed Dean Smith is looking at the 23-year-old to bolster Aston Villa's defence.
It is believed Smith sees Targett as a rival for Neil Taylor's left back slot and will help to further solidify a defence that improved so greatly during the latter stages of the season.
Villa were claimed to be preparing a £10m bid for the defender who was part of the Fulham side that beat them at Wembley in 2018.
Villa's Alan Hutton tangles with Southampton's Matt Targett (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Ralph Hasenhuttl is preparing to let eight senior players, including Targett, leave in the current window - with Targett one of them.
However, teamTALK claim Liverpool and Arsenal have both enquired about a defender who is second choice behind Ryan Bertrand .
They say Jurgen Klopp is looking at Targett as competition for emerging star Andy Robertson following the decision to release Alberto Moreno.
They also reckon Unai Emery is working on a budget this summer as he tries to infuse his squad with younger players.
And they name Leicester, Newcastle and Fulham, where he has spent time on loan, as also interested.
Aston Villa have revealed their pricing structure for season tickets for the forthcoming Premier League season.
After sealing Championship promotion, season tickets have increased in price from last campaign.
The cheapest adult season tickets remain at £370 but now go up to £684 as opposed to £595 last year. The club have revealed a new focus on families in order to attract a new generation of Villans.
Junior tickets start at £70 for Under-14s and £97 for Under -18s.
The club have also introduced a family ticket that sees two juniors attend for free when purchased with two adults.
Villa have also revealed that a new family area will be opened across all levels of the Trinity Road Stand.
Aston Villa season tickets 2019/20 - the details fans have been waiting for
Our Hause
He's Our Hause. It's official, writes Gregg Evans.
And now, Kortney, Aston Villa's third summer signing can start preparing for another crack at the Premier League.
Signed from Wolves on a £3million deal , the 23-year-old has been welcomed with open arms.
'An absolute steal' suggested supporters who reacted to the news on social media.
And they're right. Hause is young and talented enough to make a big impression in B6 and his value will fly up if he sets the standards of last season.
To think he was slated after that 3-0 defeat at Wigan and the troublesome trip to Brentford.
We're all so quick to judge these days aren't we?
Here was a young defender - short on match fitness, low on confidence, but desperate for his opportunity.
And credit to him for sticking it out and showing what he was about.
'Absolute steal' Our verdict on Aston Villa's latest summer signing
One who slipped the net
Dean Smith failed in an attempt to sign Everton starlet Kieran Dowell in January, according to reports - writes Ben Husband.
Dowell is highly rated at Goodison Park but has yet to break into the first team under Toffees boss Marco Silva.
The 21-year-old spent the second half of last season on-loan at Sheffield United and helped them clinch Premier League promotion.
But reports have emerged that the England U21 international could have been helping Villa in their push for the top flight.
Our sister title, The Liverpool Echo have claimed that Everton turned down a £6m offer from Villa for Dowell in January, opting to send him to the Blades instead.
It is claimed that Chris Wilder is keen to bring Dowell back to Bramall Lane for their first season back in the elite of English football.
The attacking midfield player also enjoyed a fruitful spell at Nottingham Forest but remains on the peripheries of his parent club.
Dowell signed a new three-year deal with the Merseysiders in 2018, keeping him at the club until 2021.
Aston Villa latest
This is your round up of all things Villa; the one-stop shop that will keep you updated on the latest goings on at Villa Park and beyond.
Transfers, injuries, match-days and managers, we've got you covered.
We'll be bringing the very latest on the Lions throughout week and around the clock.
Make sure you keep yourself updated with our handy daily catch up...
Must reads...
The nine Aston Villa players on international duty - READ
Man United fans go wild for Fergie's John McGinn transfer advice - READ
The big Aston Villa stadium plan - what we know so far - READ
How Gary Gardner is getting on at Blues - READ
Aston Villa keeping tabs on Bolton Wanderers winger - READ
Aston Villa fans all make the same demand after England update - READ
The deadly traps Aston Villa set in Norwich City hammering - READREAD
For all your latest Villa news, opinion, analysis and transfer gossip, click here
Cahill latest
Gary Cahill has been linked with a return to Aston Villa for the last three transfer windows.
That speculation reached fever pitch in January when the stars seemed to align and the Chelsea centre back's homecoming seemed only logical.
The England international had been frozen out of Maurizio Sarri's first team, Villa were short of defensive options and there was, of course, the John Terry connection.
However, nothing developed, Cahill rejected an offer from Fulham, stayed put and ended the season having made just eight appearances - and only one since November 2018.
England captain Gary Cahill
As the season ended his future once again became a newsworthy topic, he was released and all the variables at play in January presumably went some way to Villa being installed as huge favourites to sign the 33-year-old this summer.
However, a report in Italy suggests otherwise.
Italian outlet Mediaset claims former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants a reunion.
Conte, who won the league at Stamford Bridge, is now manager of Inter and is looking to replace Miranda at the heart of his defence.
The Brazilian is thought to be set to leave Milan and head home.
That's a lot of Lolley
Aston Villa transfer target Joe Lolley is being 'priced out' of a move to B6 this summer as Nottingham Forest continue to stand by their £15m valuation of the player, writes Joseph Chapman.
Villa fan Lolley is understood to be on manager Dean Smith's wishlist this summer, and BirminghamLive reported last month that, following the play-off final win over Derby County, Villa would be in a position to make a move for the attacker.
It's understood that the claret and blues were weighing up a bid of around £10m for Lolley - but Championship Forest are not interested in parting with their asset for much less than £15m.
Villa, who have splashed the cash already this summer to bring in Jota, Anwar El Ghazi and Wesley Moraes, are far from done and in the window and still require further options in the final third of the pitch.
Lolley scored 11 goals and set up 11 more from a wide right position for Forest and starred in games against Villa, the club he still follows.
The transfer update on Aston Villa's interest in Nottingham Forest star Joe Lolley
Dean Smith is expected to take a closer look at Callum O'Hare in pre-season before deciding where the Aston Villa youngster will play his football next term, writes Alex Dicken.
O'Hare, 21, returns to Villa after a successful loan spell with League Two side Carlisle United in which he grabbed three goals and three assists in 16 matches.
The midfielder made quite the impression in Cumbria and manager Steven Pressley has already spoken publicly about his desire to see O'Hare return to Brunton Park.
Pressley, whose son Aaron plays for Villa's under-23s, said: "There's nothing big time about him (O'Hare), and he's everything you could want in a loan player." More below.
This is Dean Smith's transfer plan for popular Aston Villa player