Aston Villa and Fulham target splits from agent in transfer clue, could join for less than £10m

Yesterday at 02:15 PM

With Premier League trio Aston Villa, Southampton and Fulham already interested, it will not go unnoticed that one of their January targets has just split with his agent.

A change in representation, ahead of the opening of a transfer window, usually only means one thing.

So this is far from a promising development for a Bundesliga outfit who, sitting ninth in the table, were hoping to build on a bright start and secure a return to European competition after 17 years away.

TBR understands that Aston Villa, Southampton and Fulham are fans of Romano Schmid.

A tireless yet technically-gifted Austria international who became a key figure under Ralf Rangnick due to his poise and fearsome running power, Schmid’s contract situation leaves Werder Bremen vulnerable.

And while Werder director Clemens Fritz insists Schmid won’t be sold in the winter, the harsh reality is that, with a contract running until the summer of 2026, his valuation will fall pretty rapidly unless fresh terms can be agreed.

Aston Villa and Fulham target Romano Schmid splits from agent

Schmid, TBR have been informed, could potentially be secured for less than £10 million. English football also offers the Graz-born 24-year-old, one of the more underrated attacking midfielders in Europe’s major leagues, the chance to enhance his growing reputation.

Deich Stube, a publication who specialise in all things Werder Bremen, report that Schmid has now split from his representatives.

It is far from uncommon for footballers to pursue a new agent when a transfer is on the cards. Often, they will look to secure the services of a man like the highly-influential Pini Zahavi; an agent renowned for his ability to get deals over the line.

Now, Schmid is perhaps not quite high-profile enough to join Zahavi’s stable. But the next steps he takes will make for very interesting viewing as Aston Villa look to add more midfield depth to their ranks.

TBR understands Aston Villa love Villarreal’s Alex Baena. But, at £50 million, the Spain international might be beyond reach. Osasuna confirmed Unai Emery’s admiration for Aimor Oroz recently, meanwhile, alongside young centre-back Enzo Boyomo.

Schmid’s hopes of a switch to the Premier League will not be helped, however, by a poor run of form across recent months. In his last ten Werder Bremen appearances, the former Red Bull Salzburg ace has just one goal and no assists.

Coach Ole Werner believes Schmid’s downturn is the result of a packed fixture schedule.

He was a key part of the hard-running Austria squad which reached the quarter-finals of the summer’s European Championships, after all, while recent trips to the furthest reaches of the continent have not helped aid his revoery.

Werder Bremen boss hails Schmid’s work-rate and explains poor form

“Romano has had a year in which there was a lot going on and in which he had few long breaks,” Werner says. “He has made it to the national team and is a very reliable player for Austria.

“He played in a tournament in the summer and recently travelled with the Austrian national team to Kazakhstan. That is quite a workload. So, it is normal that he might notice these [below-par] games at the end of the year.

“It may be that, in the last few weeks, he has been less precise in one situation or another than before, but that does not change his importance for our game. He still gives us as a team so much energy and strength on the pitch.”

Werner highlights Schmid’s refusal to give up on any lost cause, even when his energy reserves have been sapped by a relentless workload.

“Against Darmstadt [a 1-0 win at the start of December], Derrick Kohn almost shot the ball into the crowd in the 90th minute and knocked someone’s teacup out of their hand!

“But Romano ran after it, scraped the ball off the sideline, held his ground against two people, passed the ball to Leo Bittencourt, who won a free-kick which ultimately led to the winning goal,”

“Those were two almost hopeless situations. And that was Romano. If you look at how many games he has played this year, he cannot be valued highly enough. And that’s why he is a player, for us, who is extremely important and difficult to replace when he is not there.”