Aston Villa, Bournemouth 'set to battle for Girona midfielder'

Aston Villa and Bournemouth are both reportedly interested in signing Girona midfielder Aleix Garcia.

The 26-year-old rose through the youth ranks at Villarreal, before completing a move to Manchester City in the summer of 2015.

His move to the Etihad Stadium proved to be unsuccessful, as Garcia headed out on loan to Girona and Belgian side Royal Excel Mouscron.

Garcia left Man City in 2020 to join Romanian club Dinamo Bucarest and then Basque side Eibar, before he returned to Girona in the summer of 2021.

After struggling to find a place to settle, the Spaniard has found a happy home at Montilivi, helping the club win promotion in 2021-22 and achieve a top-half finish in La Liga last season.

© Reuters

Aston Villa, Bournemouth chasing Girona's Garcia

Garcia has continued to be a key figure in Girona's success this term, contributing three goals and providing six assists in 33 league appearances.

The midfielder played the full duration of Saturday's 4-2 over Barcelona to move Girona into second place and secure Champions League football for next season.

Although he has helped Girona surpass all expectations this season, there is a possibility that Garcia could leave the Catalan club ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

According to AS, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are among the clubs considering a potential move for Garcia in the summer transfer window.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is seemingly keen to strengthen his squad ahead of a potential Champions League appearance next season.

As for Bournemouth, they have built a solid platform in Andoni Iraola's first season and may view Garcia as a player who can help them reach the next level.

© Reuters

Premier League duo face competition for Garcia

The midfielder is under contract until at least June 2026, with his release clause believed to be in the region of €15m (£12.9m) to €20m (£17.2m).

Villa and Bournemouth appear to be leading the Premier League interest, but they are set to face competition from several European clubs.

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are at the front of the queue after making initial contact about a possible summer transfer.

Barcelona have also previously been linked with Garcia, but they may struggle to fund the move due to their current financial situation.

The Girona man could also be presented with the chance to move to Italy, having caught the attention of Serie A giants AC Milan.