Aston Villa are reportedly set to sign one club’s ever-present starter next week, and he’ll fly to England in the coming days to seal his Premier League transfer.
Aston Villa “working” on January signings for Unai Emery
As confirmed by manager Unai Emery before his side’s 2-1 win over West Ham United in the FA Cup third round on Friday night, the Midlands club are actively pursuing fresh faces before deadline day on 3rd February.
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The Villans are not wasting any more time…
Villa are yet to officially get a January deal over the line as things stand, despite reports heavily linking them with a new forward.
It is believed Monchi and NSWE have submitted an improved offer for Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen (Sky Germany), which is still short of the Bundesliga side’s valuation, while other media sources claim Villa are very keen on signing PSG forward Marco Asensio as another option.
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Aston Villa next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
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Everton (away) |
January 15 |
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Aston Villa (away) |
January 18 |
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West Ham (home) |
January 26 |
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Wolves (away) |
February 1 |
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Ipswich Town (home) |
February 15 |
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6 players who could join or leave Aston Villa in January
Aston Villa will be aiming to make a few signings and sell some players this January.
Their pursuit of an attacker comes amid PSG’s interest in a winter deal for star striker Jhon Duran, who has impressed under Emery with 12 goals in all competitions despite being behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order and starting just four Premier League games this season.
Emery says that Aston Villa are “working” on imminent incomings, and while they’ve largely been tipped to bring in forward options, there are also suggestions that a new centre-back is on the cards.
Villa are said to be targeting Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, and it could even happen this window (Football Insider). However, a deal could be difficult to pull off, as the La Liga side are expected to demand a hefty fee to let their star centre-back depart in the middle of the 2024/25 campaign.
Emery reportedly wants two quality players in each position at Villa (Pete O’Rourke), but the club’s finances are set to make recruitment tricky before deadline day.
Aston Villa closing in on Kasimpasa defender Yasin Ozcan
In some good news, Villa are thought to be closing in on their first January signing, according to Turkish newspaper A Spor.
Indeed, it is believed Villa have agreed a €8m (£7m) deal for Kasimpasa defender Yasin Ozcan, who is set to make his way to England in the coming days and put pen to paper on a deal next week.
The centre-back could return to the Süper Lig outfit on loan for the rest of 2024/25, or even fully link up with Emery’s squad for this season, depending on developments.
The 18-year-old, who was called up to the Turkey national squad for the first time in November, featuring on the bench against Montenegro, has been a pivotal mainstay for Kasimpasa this season.
Ozcan boasts 17 league starts, and goalkeeper Andreas Gianniotis is the only Kasimpasa player who’s played more Turkish top-flight minutes than the teenager.
Taking his age into account, this is quite impressive, and it appears Villa may be about to secure themselves a real gem.