Aston Villa’s potential transfer list includes departures and at least five acquisitions.
Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as Unai Emery prepares for the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa are preparing for a busy summer transfer window, with many incomings and departures likely as Unai Emery continues to create a squad capable of competing at the top of the Premier League, for domestic cup titles, and possibly in Europe.
With two games remaining in the season, Villa have their greatest chance to qualify for European football since 2010, with a trip to Liverpool and a home match against Brighton on the final day. They only need to outperform Tottenham in the remaining few games to finish in the top seven and qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Tottenham entertain Brentford on Saturday, before Villa play at Anfield. They then go to Elland Road to play relegation-threatened Leeds United on the last weekend of the season. If Villa qualify for Europe, Emery could be persuaded to add more players to his squad, but the club’s strategy won’t be wholly affected by whether qualification for Europe is won or not this month.
Back in January, Emery started to tweak his team as Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran joined the club, while numerous players left on permanent or loan terms. Frederic Guilbert moved for good to join Strasbourg, while compatriot Morgan Sanson followed him in Alsace on a loan move.
Cameron Archer and Marvelous Nakamba went on loan to Championship clubs Middlesbrough and Luton Town, respectively, while Danny Ings was permitted to join West Ham for £15 million. Jan Bednarek and Ludwig Augustinsson, who had joined the club on loan last summer, had their contracts terminated in January.
Emery has been working with the club’s transfer committee to prepare plans for after the season. The Villa manager will pursue some big targets, including a top forward, while also looking to add depth to midfield positions.
With several new signings expected, Emery will allow peripheral players to leave. Some senior members are now on loan and are anticipated to go permanently, including midfielder Nakamba, who will be permitted to leave after four years with the club.
The Zimbabwe international joined Villa from Club Brugge in the summer of 2019, and he has made 68 appearances in all competitions. He could be promoted to the Premier League with Luton Town this season through the play-offs, with the Hatters scheduled to meet Coventry City in the final on Saturday, May 27 at Wembley.
With several new signings expected, Emery will allow peripheral players to leave. Some senior members are now on loan and are anticipated to go permanently, including midfielder Nakamba, who will be permitted to leave after four years with the club.
The Zimbabwe international joined Villa from Club Brugge in the summer of 2019, and he has made 68 appearances in all competitions. He could be promoted to the Premier League with Luton Town this season through the play-offs, with the Hatters scheduled to meet Coventry City in the final on Saturday, May 27 at Wembley.
Wesley joined Levante in July, hoping to restart his career after suffering a devastating knee injury at the start of 2020, and has scored two goals for the La Liga 2 team this season. Kortney Hause, a defender, joined Watford on loan last summer but underwent surgery, ending his season prematurely. He will be permitted to go when the season concludes.
Jaden Philogene’s future at Villa Park is unknown due to competition for places in Emery’s squad, particularly in the attacking areas. Philogene scored four goals during his loan stay at Cardiff City this season.
Finn Azaz, Louie Barry, Ben Chrisene, Filip Marschall, Aaron Ramsey, and Lamare Bogarde have all performed well on loan. Clubs around the EFL will be ready to take the youngsters on loan next season, while Kaine Kesler Hayden has to find regular football after missing a few months after his stint at Huddersfield Town ended in January.
While Emery understands the importance of cutting the team, he also wants to recruit a lot of great players. Mateu Alemany’s choice to stay at Barcelona rather than join Villa in a senior capacity is disappointing, but Emery will still receive support this summer in his pursuit of his top targets.
Giovani The Spaniard admires Lo Celso, who recruited the player on loan twice as Villarreal boss. Lo Celso is free to move Tottenham this summer and might represent good value if Villa can make a deal. Matteo Guendouzi, a France international, is also a target, although he’ll cost more than Lo Celso, despite being pushed out of Marseille’s first XI in recent months.
It is unknown at this time whether Emery will instruct Villa’s recruiting department to move for both players in the same window, as Manuel Ugarte is also being considered. The Uruguayan star had a fantastic season with Sporting and has stepped up in the loss of Joao Palhinha, who left the Portuguese club to join Fulham last year.
According to BirminghamLive, Liverpool will not sign Ugarte this summer, despite reports of interest in the midfielder. Chelsea and Newcastle United have also expressed an interest in the 22-year-old, who is represented by Jorge Mendes. The Portuguese super agent might bring Ugarte and Marco Asensio, who may leave Real Madrid for free this summer, to Villa Park in the coming weeks.
Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena has impressed for the Spanish club this season and might be on Emery’s radar. The 21-year-old signed a long-term contract with Villarreal last January and is unlikely to leave so quickly after committing his future until 2028.
Meanwhile, Villa remain in the running to acquire Mallorca winger Lee Kang-in, having shown an interest in the South Korean international in January. The player’s agent, Javier Garrido, paid a visit to Bodymoor Heath last month, and BirminghamLive has learned that the goal of his trip was to talk more than one of his clients with Villa, Manchester City, and Wolves, with Barcelona’s Abde Ezzalzouli also receiving Premier League interest.
Mallorca are resolved to hold out for Lee’s release clause, which is estimated to be €17 million, a figure that Atletico Madrid is unlikely to match this summer. Villa attempted to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao last January and may repeat their interest this summer if Emery approves the transfer.
Emery has previously stated that he intends to sign at least one quality forward in the summer transfer window after failing to replace Danny Ings, who left for West Ham in a £15 million move last January. According to reports, Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and Ferran Torres are both targets for Villa.
