Aston Villa could complete the signing of Napoli winger Hirving Lozano in the summer transfer window, according to his former advisor Alessandro Monfrecola.
Are Villa linked with Lozano?
The £97,000-a-week Mexican has enjoyed a hugely successful season at club level, winning the Serie A title with Napoli and becoming an instant hero along with his teammates, considering it is their first league crown since 1990.
That being said, Lozano wasn't actually a guaranteed member the starting lineup throughout 2022/23, invariably having to settle for a squad role and starting only 20 of his side's 38 league matches.
In recent times, the winger has been linked with a summer move to Villa, as the club look to make a number of significant signings to strengthen an already-impressive squad.
What's the latest transfer news on Lozano?
Speaking to Area Napoli [via Sport Witness], Monfrecola admitted that he could see Lozano joining either Villa or West Ham as he enters the last 12 months of his contract:
"West Ham’s proposal for Lozano? I believe that if Lozano leaves Napoli he will do so for an English club. The rumours coming from Mexico tell me that there is interest from English clubs. I think Aston Villa or West Ham will be the solution for Lozano.
"He’s had a year below his expectations, so such a large salary in De Laurentiis’ view is not good. When Raiola died, he was one of the few to change agency, moving towards an agency developed towards buying and selling in England, this is his dream, the boy’s signal is clear. He is fine in Napoli, but his dream is to play in the Premier League."
Lozano could be an excellent signing for Villa, possessing real pedigree at both club and international level, considering he is now a Serie A champion – he won the Erdedivisie with PSV in the past, too – and has also scored 17 goals in 64 caps for Mexico, including one at the 2018 World Cup.
The 27-year-old would add a spark out wide that has arguably been lacking, with someone like Leon Bailey not a consistently strong performer – he only scored four goals in 33 Premier League appearances last term – with his speed and directness having the potential to cause opponents nightmares.
These are exactly the type of signings that Villa need to be making, in terms of taking them to that next level, and bringing in Lozano would feel like a big statement of intent.
