La Liga duo on radar; PSG among rivals

We might have only just caught our breath from the summer transfer window, but in the modern world of football, you are never too far away from the next transfer circus.

And so, with the January window just around the corner, Football FanCast has gathered some of the latest rumours concerning the potential incomings and outgoing at Aston Villa.

Who did Aston Villa sign this summer?

It was a mightily impressive 2022/23 campaign for Emery’s side, who were able to secure themselves a spot in the Europa Conference League for this season.

On the back of their excellent season, the club have looked to bolster their squad for their European adventure with some big-money purchases.

Indeed, Villa have spent significantly on two players, in particular, with Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres arriving over recent weeks.

However, they have also been able to sign Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free from former Premier League side Leicester City, which, given Arsenal’s interest in the 26-year-old last summer, looks to be a brilliant signing.

The Claret and Blue haven’t just improved their team with permanent signings, though, as the arrivals of former Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo from Galatasaray and Clement Lenglet from Barcelona represent shrewd acquisitions from Emery and his staff.

With their additions this summer and the opportunity to win some European silverware, this promises to be an exciting season for the Villa faithful.

Who did Aston Villa sell this summer?

Villa have certainly made a splash in the transfer market this summer thanks to their impressive array of high-profile incomings. However, they have also been able to shift a number of players deemed surplus to requirements in this new Emery era.

Youth product Cameron Archer has fetched the Villans their most significant fee of the summer, with fellow Premier League side Sheffield United signing the 21-year-old for £18m late last week (27th August).

The young striker impressed on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough last season by scoring 11 goals in 20 games, and leaves the West Midlands outfit with four goals from 14 appearances.

Alongside Archer, the club have also allowed youth product Jaden Philogene to depart for Hull City, who outlaid £5m on his signature following a fruitful season-long loan spell at Cardiff last term.

Wesley Moraes and Marvelous Nakamba also left with the former joining Stoke City and the latter Luton Town respectively.

While the exact fees for the pair remain unclear at the moment, it is unlikely that Villa have made a profit on the £33m the two of them cost the club.

This summer has also seen 38-year-old Ashley Young call time on his second spell with the Birmingham side after making 53 appearances for the Lions since his return in June 2021.

The former England international has opted to join Sean Dyche’s new-look Everton side this summer, leaving Villa on a free.

After spending the second half of last season on loan with Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, Morgan Sanson has once again made a temporary move to his home country, this time to play for Nice on the south coast.

Finally, the Claret and Blue have sent goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo on loan to League One side Exeter City for the season while releasing fellow keeper Jed Steer, who had been on the club’s books for a decade.

Who could Villa sign in January?

Nico Williams – Athletic Bilbao: The winger is attracting strong interest from the Villans, who will have to compete with Paris Saint-Germain and Brighton & Hove Albion for his signature, according to Spanish-based outlet Sport.

Williams’ contract expires next summer and January could be the last opportunity for Bilbao to cash in on their youth product, who has laid on four assists in five league outings this term.

The 21-year-old made his senior debut with the Spanish national team last September and has now racked up 10 caps for Luis de la Fuente’s side.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign the highly rated wide player, thus boosting the Villans’ chances of securing his signature.

Unai Emery will of course be familiar with the youngster thanks to his time in La Liga with Villarreal, though he may have a tough pitch trying to convince him to join ahead of serial winners PSG.

Marcos Acuña – Sevilla: Aston Villa have been given a boost in their pursuit to sign the Sevilla left-back, who was on their summer shopping list.

The Argentinian reportedly agreed upon personal terms with Villa in August but the move failed to come to fruition after the two clubs failed to agree a transfer fee.

However, it now appears a move could be resurrected in January, as Vamos Sevilla released a report claiming he is hopeful of a departure in the winter transfer window.

The story notes that the Premier League is the main market monitoring his situation and one could only assume that is a reference towards the Villans’ long-standing interest.

Dani Ceballos – Real Madrid: Unai Emery has already attracted several high-profile players to Villa Park such as Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby, as well as one he has worked with previously in Pau Torres, so it is not surprising to hear that he is looking to land another star he has worked with before in Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos.

The report has come from Spanish outlet DefensaCentral, which has claimed that Villa would be willing to offer between €15m (£13m) and €18m (£16m) to land his signature – and even double the player’s wage to win him over.

The 27-year-old played for Emery during his time at Arsenal, and although he never set the world on fire, he was a consistent performer for the Gunners, and when given the opportunity to play, he has been a good servant to Los Blancos.

With a severe reduction in his game time and the potential to double his wages, could Ceballos be tempted to join his old boss in the Midlands?

Who could leave Villa in January?

Jhon Duran: The 19-year-old has already attracted a lot of interest from across the continent and could leave in the January window, per BirminghamLive.

The former Chicago Fire striker only joined the Villans in January, but following five impressive cameo appearances in the league this season and two goals, it looks like the club could have a battle to keep him in the Midlands.

That said, BirminghamLive has reported that the club have every intention of fighting to keep him and would reject any offers ‘out of hand’.

How could Villa line up?

If Emery and Aston Villa can pull these signings off in the January window, how would that impact the first team? How would the Spaniard have his side line up for the rest of the season in an ideal world?

Well, were the former Arsenal boss to stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation that he has played in four of the club’s first six Premier League matches, both Ceballos and Williams should expect to be making it into the lineup.

In Ceballos’ case, he is versatile enough to play either as a central or defensive midfielder, and he even played as an attacking midfielder for the Gunners. While Williams has played more on the right-hand side, he has also played on the left plenty of times, increasing his chance of a starting spot among Emery’s tactical options.

Both players could start in multiple positions for this Villa team and be used in numerous formations, making both deals seem like brilliant ideas.

Acuña’s potential arrival would likely see him slot straight into the starting lineup at left-back.

Potential Aston Villa XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Acuña; Ceballos, Luiz; Williams, Diaby, McGinn; Watkins