Juventus and Aston Villa battle for Neil El Aynaoui

Neil El Aynaoui is a target for Aston Villa and Juventus, as the 23-year-old midfielder continues to impress in Ligue 1 with his current club Lens. Since arriving at the side in 2023, he has played 49 games scoring 9 league goals and has caught the eye of numerous European football scouts.

It is understood that Unai Emery is seeking midfield reinforcements and sees El Aynaoui as the best option available on the market within the club's financial constraints this summer. Lens are looking for around 22 million euros to sell the ex-Nancy midfielder.

Italian giants Juventus have expressed interest in the Morocco under-23 international and have deployed their top scout to monitor the player in action. The club have yet to have submitted an official bid for the starlet.

It is understood that Lens had originally ruled out an exit for the player, instead looking to keep hold of the midfield prospect for at least another season. However, money talks and it is understood that the French club will be forced to sell in order to balance the books ahead of the 2025-26 league campaign.