The 28-year-old is eyeing a move to Aston Villa with talks open as the release clause is revealed

Aston Villa's outstanding 2025/26 season has raised expectations at Villa Park, and Unai Emery is now preparing for a summer of pride after guiding the club to Europa League glory and another Premier League fixture.

Villa's progress under Emery has continued at an incredible pace over the past two years.

Winning the Europa League marked another milestone for the club, while their league form reaffirmed how competitive they are with England's top teams, despite their limited spending power.

Emery has slowly built a squad capable of balancing domestic and European football, and attention has now turned to strengthening key areas ahead of next season.

Goalkeeping depth is one position that Villa are exploring this summer, particularly amid continued uncertainty over the long-term future of Emiliano Martínez.

That may explain why Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas emerged as a critical target.

Aston Villa open talks over Moritz Nicolas deal

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have already opened club-to-club talks over a potential move for the 28-year-old German goalkeeper.

The report claims that Nicolas is very interested in the possibility of joining Villa and sees a move to the Premier League as a huge career opportunity.

Villa's interest is believed to be genuine, with Emery's staff reportedly impressed with Nicolas' performances in the Bundesliga this season.

The German goalkeeper enjoyed arguably the best campaign of his career with Gladbach.

He started all 34 of his Bundesliga matches, kept 13 clean sheets and established himself as one of the team's most reliable strikers.

Nicolas' consistency was widely praised in Germany during the second half of the season, although he missed out on being selected for Germany's World Cup squad.

Standing at 6ft 4in, Nicolas is known for his strong intelligence, commanding of the penalty area and calm distribution from the back – all qualities that fit naturally into Emery's tactical setup.

The financial details of the move are also becoming clearer.

Sky Germany and several German reports have confirmed that Nicolas has a release clause in his contract that applies directly to clubs from Europe's top five leagues.

For Premier League clubs, including Villa, the clause is set at £13 million.

That figure is a good figure compared to the current goalkeeper market, especially for a player entering his first years of Bundesliga experience.

Martinez remains one of the club's key players, but there has been growing speculation linking the Argentine with a move away from the top flight in recent months.

Even if Martinez stays, adding another quality goalkeeper appears to be part of Villa's long-term planning.

Nicolas' enthusiasm for traveling can help speed up negotiations.

Reports in Germany suggest the player is aware of growing interest from the Premier League and has so far rejected Gladbach's attempts to agree new contract terms.

From Villa's point of view, the deal is in line with Emery's wider recruitment strategy.

Instead of chasing marquee signings, Villa have gone to great lengths to target players entering their prime who can strengthen competition across the club immediately.

Nicolas seems to fit that model closely.

There is still work to be done before any deal can be finalised, but Villa's interest is well established. After such a good season under Emery, the club are looking to rebuild, and Nicolas could be one of the first important additions of the summer.

If a deal can't be done for him, Man City's James Trafford would be an excellent alternative.