Aston Villa closing in on signing of player who rejected Man Utd after deal falls through

Aston Villa are reportedly in advanced talks to sign Japan international goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma - several years after he opted not to join Manchester United.

Suzuki, 25, was one of the star goalkeepers at the 2026 World Cup, helping Japan to reach the round of 32 stage before they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Brazil.

He was expected to sign for Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of €35 million, having attracted interest from Leeds earlier in the summer before they signed James Trafford from Manchester City.

RMC Sport report that a change in the agent commission fee has prompted the PSG deal to fall through, though their journalist Loic Tanzi reports there is a feeling that the change was made because Suzuki simply preferred a move to Aston Villa instead.

Zion Suzuki in action for Japan at the 2026 World Cup (Image: Getty)

Interest from Villa appears to have emerged recently amid speculation over the future of their goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, with The Athletic reporting on Sunday morning that Juventus had lodged a new bid to sign the Argentina goalkeeper.

It does not appear that United, who have been linked with both players in the past, have any interest in getting involved.

United were active at the beginning of the window in signing midfielders Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively for a combined fee of over £70 million.

But their progress has slowed in recent weeks, with new permanent head coach Michael Carrick telling reporters that he wants more signings.

United's reported interest in Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni - before he agreed a new long-term contract at the Bernabeu - clearly indicates that the signing of a third new player in midfield is a priority, while they also want to recruit at left-back and centre-back.

One area that doesn't need strengthening is the goalkeeper position, with Karl Darlow signed on a free transfer after his contract at bitter rivals Leeds expired.

Darlow joins veteran shot-stopper Tom Heaton and Senne Lammens in the goalkeeping department, with United allowing Radek Vitek to join Championship big-spenders Middlesbrough for an initial fee of £7 million plus potential add-ons.

Why Zion Suzuki rejected Man Utd move

The chance to sign Suzuki has passed United by over the years, since he was targeted for a role as Andre Onana's understudy in the summer of 2023 under Erik ten Hag.

He was playing for Japanese J1 League side Urawa Red Diamonds at the time, and was in high demand after helping his club win the 2022 AFC Champions League title.

But rather than move to Old Trafford, he opted to join Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden instead.

The move was initially on a loan basis before being made permanent in 2024, with Suzuki then moving to Italy later that year.

His choice of career path has certainly served him well, with the Japan international now one of the world's top shot-stoppers.

In 2023, Suzuki explained his reasons for rejecting a move to United in an interview with GOAL.

"I decided to transfer this time as a step up in aiming to be the best in the world," he said. "It's true that there was an offer from Manchester United.

"As a football player and as a person, if I hadn't thought about anything, of course, I would like to go to Manchester United, but among them, I really want to spend time thinking about what kind of future awaits me. After much thought, I made this decision.

"Manchester United have acquired Onana. It's important for me to participate in matches, and I think it's also important to play on the world stage. I want to make the most of what I have learned here and do my best.

"While many players are active overseas, it is difficult to become a 'keeper. I think we are going to have a really tough battle ahead of us in that kind of place.

"There are still no Japanese who are active as goalkeepers in the Premier League, so I want to be able one of the first players to do so. I want to keep moving forward step by step."

Three years on, Suzuki's ambitions look like they are about to come true with Aston Villa.