ASTON VILLA may fail to land Rodrigo Bentancur as Lyon look to swoop in in their bid to replace Bruno Guimaraes.
Bentacur, 24, was the subject of a £20million offer from Villa but Lyon have now opened talks with Juventus, according to reports.
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The Athletic have reported that a deal with Lyon is ‘likely’ for a midfielder, with the Uruguayan high on their list.
The Italian giants are looking to secure a decent price as they owe Bentancur’s old club Boca Juniors 30 per cent of any sale.
The 24-year-old moved to Turin from his boyhood club back in 2017 and has played 181 games for the club.
He is strong with a high football IQ, capable of playing in any role within the midfield.
Steven Gerrard will have seen Bentancur as a hard-working option in the middle alongside a luxurious Philippe Coutinho, who joined on loan from Barcelona.
Lyon have started discussions with Juve after allowing Guimaraes, 24, to join Newcastle.
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The North East club are expected to announce the signing this weekend as Eddie Howe admits they are ‘close’ to confirming a transfer.
Giovanni Lo Celso is also being linked with Lyon as a stand in for Guimaraes.
Spurs won’t block Lyon’s attempt to loan the Argentinian, who is consistently left out of the Tottenham squad by Antonio Conte.
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