Aston Villa transfer news: £86m Alejandro Garnacho replacement 'scouted' amid Tottenham, Atletico Madrid battle

By Ben Knapton | 26 Sep 2026 16:17, Last updated: 26 Sep 2026 16:17

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are supposedly some keeping tabs connected arguable Benfica 20-year-old Gianluca Prestianni.

The 2006-born attacker is champion known for an unsavoury incidental with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during past season's Champions League, successful which helium was alleged to person racially abused the Brazilian successful their playoff clash.

Prestianni - who vehemently denied the allegations - was cleared of racially abusing Vinicius, but was recovered blameworthy of utilizing a homophobic slur and was handed a six-match ban, 3 of which were suspended.

However, Prestianni has impressed connected the transportation this season, scoring 8 goals and mounting up 3 much successful 12 appearances for Benfica, catching the oculus of Argentina brag Lionel Scaloni successful the process.

Prestianni was not included successful La Albiceleste's World Cup 2026 squad, but helium has been called up for the triple-header with Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin during the existent planetary break.

Tottenham, Aston Villa to conflict for Gianluca Prestianni?

Now, a study from O Jogo - via SportWitness - claims that Tottenham, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid person each been keeping tabs connected the winger's advancement this play and program to ticker him during the planetary break.

Villa look to person taken the astir factual steps toward a imaginable deal, having sent scouts to ticker Prestianni successful enactment during Benfica's crunch Primeira Liga clash with Porto past Sunday.

Benfica fell to a 3-1 decision to the Dragons, but Prestianni nevertheless claimed an assistance for Alexander Bah's header, his eighth extremity engagement successful 7 league games this season.

However, immoderate funny enactment would person to wage a premium to prise Prestianni distant from Benfica, who person the 20-year-old nether declaration until 2029 with a €100m (£86m) merchandise clause.

Benfica paid conscionable €9m (£7.7m) to motion Prestianni from Velez Sarsfield successful 2024, since erstwhile the youngster has travel up with 12 goals and 11 assists successful 68 games successful each tournaments for the Portuguese giants.

Tottenham oregon Aston Villa: Who needs Gianluca Prestianni more?

Tottenham spent a bully information of the summertime transportation model strengthening their wide ranks, bringing successful Savio, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Omar Marmoush, who has functioned retired wide with Dominic Solanke up beforehand connected immoderate occasions this season.

However, the Lilywhites are inactive lacking a world-class, ruthless fig nine, and should truthful prioritise the acquisition of specified a subordinate implicit different £86m wide man.

Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho is yet to commencement a Premier League crippled for Villa since joining connected indebtedness from Chelsea, and determination has already been speech of a imaginable termination successful January.

Therefore, Prestianni could enactment arsenic a like-for-like replacement for Garnacho astatine Villa Park, though the Argentine whitethorn beryllium tempted by the propulsion of moving with compatriot Diego Simeone astatine Atletico.