Aston Villa have been one of the quietest teams in the Premier League during the summer transfer window.
They are still yet to make a significant first team signing and have instead solely focused on squad depth with the arrivals of young defender Yasin Özcan for £7m and goalkeeper Marco Bizot on a free transfer.
Unai Emery’s side have allowed the likes of Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Kortney House to leave on free transfers and have so far opted against making any of their loan signings from January permanent.
The West Midlands club have to tread lightly to avoid getting into PSR trouble but are believed to be monitoring the midfield market as they look for players that can aid their Europa League campaign.
Aston Villa plot move for Romano Schmid
Guardian Sport reporter Jacob Steinberg has revealed that Aston Villa are keeping tabs on the availability of Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid. However, he adds that talks are not at an advanced stage and claims both Fulham and West Ham are attentive to the situation.
Steinberg posted on X: “West Ham are considering a move for Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Romano Schmid. Austria international could cost around €15m. Deal not an advanced stage but #whufc aware of situation. Aston Villa and Fulham are also monitoring the 25-year-old.”
Football Insider also understands the Austrian playmaker is valued at around £13m and adds that several clubs around Europe have been impressed with Schmid’s consistency in recent seasons.
Why Aston Villa are interested in Romano Schmid
Romano Schmid is a central attacking midfielder in the prime years of his career at 25.
He’s played for Werder Bremen since 2019 but actually started out at Sturm Graz in Austria while also spending time on the books at Red Bull Salzburg.
Schmid has played 157 matches for Werder Bremen, contributing 14 goals and 25 assists across all competitions. He’s played all over the midfield throughout his career but has blossomed into a more attacking minded footballer in recent years.
Last term, he chipped in with 10 goals contributions in the Bundesliga, helping his side to a respectable eighth place finish in the process.
Schmid is a regular at international level for Austria with 18 of his 25 caps coming in the last two years. He’s also earned Europa League experience during his time at Bremen and is seen as the calibre of footballer that could boost Villa’s squad depth in a European campaign while presenting good market value.
