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Aston Villa want Bulgarian star Ivelin Popov in January after failed summer bid
ASTON VILLA will make another bid for Bulgarian midfielder Ivelin Popov in January after failing with a move for the player in the most recent transfer window.
Reports in Russia suggest that Villa were the club that showed the greatest interest in signing Popov from Kuban Krasnodar during the offseason but failed to meet the club's asking price for the 25-year-old.
According to Izvestia, Popov was willing to join Villa and had accepted personal terms at the club, but a transfer fee was not able to be agreed, with Kuban holding out for £8.4m.
Kuban are reportedly still willing to do business with Villa in the January transfer window if the Villains make an acceptable offer.
But Paul Lambert could face competition from a series of Dutch clubs, with PSV, FC Twente and Feyenoord all thought to be interested.
There are some doubts about whether Popov would be willing to leave behind the prospect of European football at Kuban to play in the Premier League with Villa, but there is no reason to believe the player's stance has change in the last two months.
Popov joined Kuban from Turkish side Gaziantepspor in 2012, settling in quickly in Russia and scoring 12 goals in 36 appearances from midfield last season.