Forget Nakamba: Villa must now swoop for £107k-p/w "serious target" who's "like Pogba" - opinion

Aston Villa are reportedly keen on signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, with manager Steven Gerrard personally scouting the 29-year-old against Manchester City on Wednesday.

According to the Birmingham Mail’s Patrick Rowe, Gerrard is understood to have been in Spain earlier this week to scout Kondogbia, who played the entirety of both legs of Atletico’s Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.

Rowe also tweeted saying that the midfielder is ‘a serious target’ for Villa, who are ‘very confident’ of getting a deal done.

Steven Gerrard was in attendance for Atletico Madrid's #UCL fixture against Man City this week – scouting midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia.

Sources confirm #AVFC view him as a 'serious target' and are 'very confident' of getting the deal done.

More here:https://t.co/HADOc1HskT

— PGR (@pgr_analytics) April 15, 2022

The Central African Republic international has made 33 appearances in all competitions for Diego Simeone’s side this term and has two years left on his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

It’s already been made pretty public that Aston Villa will be looking to add at least one midfielder to their ranks this summer with Brighton’s Yves Bissouma a long-term target.

Villa already have the likes of Jacob Ramsey, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba amongst their midfield ranks, although one may have to depart to accommodate fresh faces.

Nakamba’s fate could particularly be at risk with the Zimbabwean yet to return from a knee injury that has kept him out since December, having made the bench in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Tottenham.

Prior to his injury, the 28-year-old had made 12 Premier League appearances but could now find himself fourth in the