Aston Villa are weighing up a move to bring Leeds United defensive midfielder Tyler Adams back to the Premier League, according to reports.
Is Tyler Adams leaving Leeds?
The USA international only arrived at Elland Road from RB Leipzig last summer and was a regular feature having made 26 appearances during his debut season, but despite missing the final 12 top-flight games of the previous campaign with a hamstring injury, his positive impact was clear to see.
The Whites talisman firmly established himself as Daniel Farke’s side’s overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.73, so even though he still has another four years remaining on his contract, it’s understandable that he’s been gaining attention in the market.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs confirmed that the 24-year-old is a player that has been “looked" at by NSWE and Monchi, but they aren't the only chiefs chasing his services with Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion also interested.
However, Chelsea are the club currently in pole position as they have already entered formal talks and are in ongoing negotiations, so the other potential suitors need to act fast should they want any chance at hijacking the deal, something which Unai Emery is hoping to do.
Are Aston Villa signing Tyler Adams?
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are "keen" on Adams and are "exploring a potential move" before the end of the summer transfer window. The Midlands outfit are "ready" to bolster their central ranks once again and want to "activate" the Leeds star's £20-25m relegation clause included in his deal in Yorkshire.
The LS11 ace is "keen" to make a return to the top-flight, handing all of his potential suitors a boost, but as previously mentioned, he's currently on his way to Stamford Bridge should nothing change.
How good is Tyler Adams?
Aston Villa will know that Adams is much stronger in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game having recorded zero goals or assists since putting pen to paper at Leeds, but having been dubbed a “machine” in front of the backline by journalist Wes Rucker, he could be a fantastic recruit for Emery.
The New York native, who’s sponsored by Nike, last season ranked in the 99th percentile for tackles and the 97th percentile for blocks, via FBRef, highlighting just how good he is at clearing the danger before it gets through to his defence.
However, the 2022 World Cup participant is also capable of playing at centre-back, left-back and right-back alongside four roles in the centre of the park which is another extremely attractive attribute, so it’s no surprise that the boss is considering a swoop.
Marvelous Nakamba recently completed a permanent move to Luton Town so Emery will need to enter the market to find a suitable replacement. He's seemingly done just that with Adams, but as a result of Chelsea closing in with every day that passes, it won't be easy to convince him to change his mind and instead move to Villa Park.