According to The Daily Mail, Aston Villa transfer target Josh King is now available for around £10m in this summer transfer window.
What’s the word?
Reports in recent weeks had suggested that the Bournemouth striker, who’s now playing in the Championship after the Cherries’ relegation from the Premier League last season, is on Villa’s radar, and that the Midlands club were even going to table a £16m bid.
Now, The Daily Mail claim that with just days left before the close of the window, Bournemouth have slashed King’s asking price to just £10m, as they battle against the financial struggles facing teams over these past few months.
The report further adds that Italian side Torino could provide Dean Smith’s side with competition for the Norway international’s signature.
Bargain for Johan Lange
Described as the “complete package” by his former boss at Bournemouth, Eddie Howe, King would give Villa a proven option in the Premier League to really compliment Ollie Watkins.
Whilst the new signing from Brentford has enjoyed a fine start to the new campaign with two goals in four games, he has still never experienced top-flight football in England prior to this season
In King, Villa would be getting someone who has played 161 times in the Premier League, scoring 48 goals. And if Smith was watching the Norwegian closely last season, then he would have seen him give Tyrone Mings a run around in their 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in August 2019.
As well as getting on the score-sheet, the £45k-a-week earning ace looked a major threat all game, firing off two shots and completing two out of his three attempted dribbles.
King also contested a mammoth 21 duels and won eight of them, which were both game-highs. Mings on the other hand struggled to live with the pace and the movement of the striker, conceding possession 16 times and committing two fouls.
If Lange can now get him for £10m, shortly after they had reportedly made a £16m bid, it would be a masterclass.