It has been no secret that former Villarreal and Sevilla managers Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui have been scouring La Liga for potential recruits since joining Aston Villa and Wolves respectively.
Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha has already followed Lopetegui from Spain to the Midlands, and he is not expected to be the last.
The latest to be suggested for a move to England is Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno. Villa manager Emery is not convinced that Lucas Digne is good enough to be a starter for him and has asked the club to bring in Moreno, as per Todofichajes.
Heavily linked with Nottingham Forest last summer, Moreno eventually stayed and continued to perform at a high level this season, with Betis competing for Champions League places. Former Spain manager Luis Enrique admitted that he was on the fringes of La Roja, despite serious competition in the position.
Real Betis are tight up against their salary limit and would likely be content to accept a decent offer, which lies at €18m in this case, in order to give them room to breathe.
Manuel Pellegrini is desperate hang onto one of his best players, but may be forced to accept the economic imperative. Perhaps the most difficult part for Villa might be persuading Moreno to move to them. Money obviously weighs heavy in the decision, but Moreno was more than content to turn down Forest in the summer and is enjoying life in Seville.
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