Aston Villa want ex-Union Berlin star amid Borussia Dortmund interest originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Despite not qualifying for European football for over a decade, Aston Villa have made the process look almost too easy in recent years. Over the last three years, the Villans have managed to add European nights into their fixture lists, with their most recent campaign adding silverware to their trophy cabinet as they took down SC Freiburg in the Europa League final.
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Whether it was their triumph over the German side or their fourth-place finish in the Premier League, the West Midlands were destined to host Champions League football next season.
With additional games being included on top of those already present with the various fixtures in the English set-up, teams need to have some noticeable depth to their squads.
Aston Villa are looking towards a Bundesliga free agent
It appears that the Villains could be looking to add some numbers to their backline, with their eyes set on the Bundesliga for one of their targets. As reported by Fussballdaten’s Ekrem Konur, Aston Villa are among the teams interested in ex-Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi, whose contract in the German capital expired at the end of the season.
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“Interest from the Premier League is very concrete. Aston Villa want to increase the defensive depth of their squad…” writes Konur.
Doekhi would certainly help Unai Emery out on multiple fronts, with his work on the defensive end being noteworthy, recording 42 interceptions and winning 31 tackles last season at the Stadion An der Alten Foresterei. But this doesn’t even mention his Champions League experience, when Die Eisernen made the group stage in 2023/24, which could come in handy if he makes the move to Villa Park.
However, given these intangibles and that the Dutchman is set to be a free agent, other teams around Europe share the same interest as Aston Villa, including fellow Premier League club Leeds United, as well as German giants Borussia Dortmund, according to Konur.
“Leeds United want to sign the Dutchman to provide defensive stability…” explains Konur. “Borussia Dortmund have Doekhi’s name firmly on their shortlist to bolster their defensive rotation.”
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Given that Doekhi didn’t make the cut for Ronald Koeman’s squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the setting of the next chapter of his career could be at the forefront of his mind during the Summer.
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