Agent relationship holds key in bid to beat Aston Villa – 2 clubs trying to race ahead

Aston Villa have been mentioned as a suitor for Lazio’s Mario Gila repeatedly in recent months. The race for the centre-back is gathering pace, with Napoli joining AC Milan.

Over the past few weeks, Sport Witness have covered the Spaniard’s uncertain situation at Lazio. The Rome side have tried and failed to tie him down to a new deal for many months now, with a summer exit looking likely.

It was also claimed that a fee of €30m will be enough for Aston Villa, who are competing with Italian clubs for the player.

It now seems like the attention for Gila is quickly growing, as Lazio approach the end of the campaign.

Agent ties will impact move

At the weekend, Calciomercato’s Daniele Longo spoke of Milan being very close to agreeing personal terms with the defender. The report appeared very optimistic that the Rossoneri will sign the player, with talks with Lazio also scheduled.

But the reporting around the ex-Real Madrid player doesn’t end there. Rai’s Antonello Perillo has tweeted about the defender, who impressed against Napoli on Saturday.

The journalist makes it clear that Aston Villa are very much in the mix for Gila.

So are Inter Milan, who have an excellent relationship with his agent Alejandro Camano. They deal with him regularly, for Lautaro Martinez, and Camano also helped them sign Achraf Hakimi.

This makes the Nerazzurri a major threat to the Villans. In the meantime, Napoli’s interest has also grown, with sporting director Giovanni Manna ready to offer a wage worth €3m per season as well. He has been keen on the player for months, having been impressed by his performance against Napoli too.

Perilla also clarifies that Lazio want €25m for a sale, which is lower than initially expected.

Our take: Aston Villa should race ahead

Unai Emery’s side can pay Gila more than €3m per season, especially if they qualify for the Champions League. Italian sides usually have self-imposed wage restrictions and they don’t exceed those unless conditions force them.

That is why Aston Villa can still sign Gila, if they play their cards right. He has added a lot of value to Lazio since joining in 2022. The 25-year-old has also captained them on many occasions, showing impressive ability on the ball as well.

He is at the right age, also being versatile enough to play in midfield.