According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Neil El Aynaoui is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are keen on reinforcing their midfield unit by signing a dynamic midfielder in the summer transfer window. So, the 23-year-old RC Lens prospect has emerged as a target for the West Midlands outfit. However, the Premier League outfit will face competition from Juventus and Lazio for the RC Lens midfielder.
Neil El Aynaoui has established himself as one of the best young prospects in Ligue 1 since joining RC Lens from AS Nancy in July 2023. A native of Nancy, the French-born midfielder spent his formative years in France, starting his youth career at CF Gava before joining AS Nancy in 2009.
El Aynaoui spent nearly a decade and a half with AS Nancy, rising through the ranks in the club’s academy before breaking into the first-team squad. However, the 23-year-old has come leaps and bounds at RC Lens in the last two years, although fitness issues plagued him in the 2024/25 season.
The Moroccan youth international managed only 1,677 minutes of game time across 25 outings in all competitions for RC Lens, chipping in with eight goals and one assist. Meanwhile, El Aynaoui’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several well-known clubs across Europe. Aston Villa will be among the prospective suitors vying for his signature in the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa’s interest in Neil El Aynaoui is somewhat perplexing. Unai Emery has several top-class midfielders in his squad, with Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara making their mark in the 2024/25 campaign. However, with Amadou Onana blowing hot and cold in his debut season, the Aston Villa manager wants more options in the middle of the park.
So, several candidates, including Gabriel Sara, have emerged on Aston Villa’s radar, with El Aynaoui also a viable target. However, the Villans are not alone in the battle for the Nancy-born midfielder, with Juventus and Lazio also keen on signing him in the summer transfer window.
So, Aston Villa might face a tall order to land the 23-year-old Moroccan international in the summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see if the West Midlands club can beat the stiff competition to El Aynaoui’s signature.
