Villa’s approach is at the preliminary stage, but the early move is the kind that tends to decide which club is actually in the room when a January deal gets serious. According to a TEAMtalk exclusive by Graeme Bailey, Fikayo Tomori has become a target for several Premier League clubs ahead of the January window, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Fulham all said to have made contact.

Tomori’s deal at the San Siro expires next summer. Milan would rather negotiate a January fee than lose him for nothing, and the 28-year-old is reportedly open to a return to the Premier League.

Head coach Rúben Amorim, appointed in June, is said not to see the England international as part of his long-term plan. The defender had not featured for Milan this season as of early October.

For Unai Emery, this is a second attempt. Football Insider has noted that Villa held preliminary talks for Tomori in August, before the summer window closed. The renewed contact suggests the Villa manager wants a decision locked in before the January rush rather than after.

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Chelsea want their academy graduate back

The twist in the story sits at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea, where Tomori came through the academy before being sold to Milan in 2021, are weighing up a reunion of their own.

Xabi Alonso’s side are reportedly thin on senior centre-back cover, and the chance to bring back a 28-year-old England international, either in January or as a free agent in the summer, has caught their attention.

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Alonso’s squad “are in need of a new centre-back, at least to provide cover and depth if not to start” matches.

Chelsea let Tomori go to Milan in 2021 for a reported £25m. He has made more than 160 Serie A appearances since.

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Newcastle and Spurs join the queue

Villa are not alone in trying to move early. Newcastle United and Tottenham have both enquired about January deals for Tomori and his Milan team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with TEAMtalk reporting that a winter move for the pair is now looking increasingly likely.

Milan want a January fee rather than lose Tomori for nothing next summer, which puts the valuation at the centre of whether he leaves this winter or waits for a Chelsea move on a free in July.

Tomori himself has not addressed the speculation publicly, and no formal offer has been reported.

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