The Villans are said to have made contact with the Ligue 1 side over a move for the defender, but there may be stiff competition for his signature, with the likes of West Ham United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Napoli also expressing their interest.

Levante right-back Marc Pubill had also been linked with a move to Villa Park, with the 20-year-old held in high regard by the president of football operations Monchi, though it has now been reported that Unai Emery won’t make a move for the youngster this summer.

With a move for Pubill now likely to be off the table, Villa have now turned their attentions towards signing another La Liga right-back, with reports from Spain detailing they have held “simple contacts” over a move for Sevilla’s Montiel (via Sport Witness).

The right-back is unhappy with life at the Spanish club, which could lead to a departure this summer, and he could move back to his homeland of Argentina, but that would be a very difficult deal to get over the line, even for the likes of River Plate.

As such, the Villans are now considering a move for the Argentinian, but there will be competition for his signature, with clubs from Russia also making their interest known.

The 26-year-old recently featured in Sevilla’s match against Real Betis, which could suggest manager Jose Luis Mendilibar is thinking about keeping him, though his future remains in doubt for the time being.

How good is Gonzalo Montiel?

The 26-year-old made a name for himself out in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup, scoring the winning penalty for Argentina in the final, and he has since gone on to score the decisive spot-kick for Sevilla in the 2023 Europa League final.

It was in Qatar where the defender particularly impressed, however, being lauded as “absolutely incredible” by journalist Roy Nemer en route to Argentina’s triumph on the biggest stage.

The £23k-per-week Sevilla ace made 28 appearances in La Liga last season, during which time he picked up three assists, however, there are some doubts over his defensive capabilities, ranking in just the 25th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year.

Not only that, the fact that Sevilla youngster Juanlu has recently been given the nod in the first team should be a concern for Villa, as it suggests the 23-time Argentina international has fallen down the pecking order.

With Villa set to embark on a Europa Conference League campaign next season, it is important to have players who have experience in European competition, which could make Montiel a good signing, though it would not be too disappointing if they missed out on his signature.