Aston Villa, West Ham Pursue Marseille Midfielder Adrien Rabiot Amid Transfer Bust-Up

Aston Villa is actively pursuing midfield reinforcements following a challenging start to their Premier League season and injuries to key players like Boubacar Kamara. The club has made a proposal to sign Adrien Rabiot from Marseille after the French midfielder was transfer-listed due to a physical altercation with a teammate, with West Ham and other clubs also showing interest. Aston Villa's interest in Rabiot comes amid their search to replace Jacob Ramsey, who recently moved to Newcastle, and a desire to strengthen their midfield options alongside Youri Tielemans. Meanwhile, Emiliano Buendia's future at Aston Villa remains uncertain as the club rejected a loan offer from Stuttgart, despite the player initially wanting to stay and having recently extended his contract. Villa’s financial constraints due to UEFA sanctions have limited their transfer activity, and they are also reportedly considering a move for Lucas Paqueta. Barcelona has set a high €70 million price tag for their homegrown star Fermin Lopez, attracting interest from Premier League clubs, though this is unrelated to the Aston Villa and Rabiot transfer developments.