The 'Villa Villan' tifo at Villa Park
The 'Villa Villan' tifo at Villa Park
Aston Villa were busy in the summer - but if Unai Emery has his way, and PSR allows, they're likely to be active next month in topping up their squad. Here's a look at the latest Villa transfer news and gossip of the last week, as we hurtle towards the January transfer window...
Loan decision
Aston Villa's Louie Barry is courting interest from Championship clubs ahead of the January transfer window.
The forward has been in sensational form out on loan at Stockport County in League One this season and Villa will have a decision to make ahead of the upcoming window with a recall on the cards.
Barry has scored 13 goals in 17 league appearances this term, including three in his last four games. The 21-year-old has bagged a total of 22 goals in 37 league matches under Dave Challinor after helping the Hatters to promotion from League Two last term.
Teenage wonder
Aston Villa have joined the race for Reims midfielder Valentin Atangana, according to a report.
The Sun on Sunday claim both Villa and Tottenham are keen on the 19-year-old who they described as a ‘Cameroon-born wonder’. It is also said 26 ‘top sides’ who watched him play last week.
Atangana is a central midfielder who can play in the middle of the park or sit deeper as a holding midfielder. So far this season he has started all 13 of Reims’ Ligue 1 games and has also made a breakthrough at Under-21 level with France, scoring on his debut in a 2-2 draw with Italy U21s. Indeed the teenager is already closing in on last season’s 15 league appearances and has helped his team reach ninth in the table.
He joined the Reims academy in 2015 and has progressed through the age groups to play regularly for the senior side. He is under contract until 2026.
Gaining experience
Highly-rated Aston Villa defender Sil Swinkels could be sent out on loan this January following the full recovery of Tyrone Mings from injury.
The towering 20-year-old Dutch youth international has been kept close to the Unai Emery’s first team squad due to it being short on defensive cover. But The Athletic report that the club are now planning to sanction a loan move to a Championship or League One club, with Wycombe and Peterborough interested.
The ball playing centre-back made his professional debut Villa in the FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool in 2021. He then featured under Unai Emery for the first time earlier this season, starting in the 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
Tomori time
Aston Villa have been credited with an interest in AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori, who could be available for a smaller fee than what the Rossoneri were previously demanding. Centre half Tomori has been out in Italy since 2021, when he left Chelsea - initially on another loan - before making that switch to the San Siro a permanent arrangement.
Tomori has since been called up on a number of occasions to represent England, although not for a year when he played in a Euros qualifier against Malta and an international friendly against Australia. He has also, in recent weeks, lost his place in the starting XI in Serie A under manager Paulo Fonseca.
The 26-year-old has continued to be a regular pick in the Champions League - he was at the heart of the defence for the entire game as they emerged 3-1 victors at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid earlier this month - but he's played just 11 league minutes, spanning two appearances, since the beginning of October.
Midfield boosting
Aston Villa and a host of Premier League teams are ‘on red alert’ to the availability of Nicolo Fagioli.
That’s according to TBR Football who say Juventus have made the Italy international available for a January transfer after he lost his place under new manager Thiago Motta.
Villa are included in a list that also features Manchester City, Tottenham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest with the report adding that most of the Premier League is aware of his situation.
Fagioli has only made four Serie A starts this season – and two in the Champions League in which he came off the bench in the final four minutes of last week’s 0-0 draw with Villa.
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