Rayan Cherki (Olympique Lyonnais)
Rayan Cherki (Olympique Lyonnais) (Image: Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Aston Villa await what could be an interesting January transfer window in the coming weeks, after they got their domestic campaign back on track with six points on home soil in the past week. Villa ended their previous winless run with important victories over Brentford and Southampton at Villa Park to propel themselves back into the top half of the table as the Christmas period approaches.
Villa were productive in the summer, but it was by no means wholesale changes; aside from the 'PSR' deals involving Lewis Dobbin and Tim Iroegbunam, and the loans of Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea which means Villa haven't yet benefitted directly from their talents, they added four new faces - two of which had previously played for the club - and bid farewell to three.
Jaden Philogene, Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana have all made varying impacts but Unai Emery does have room - in the dressing room, if not necessarily in the books - to make further additions in January as Villa look to continue fighting on fronts at home and in Europe. Indeed Villa should be confident of progression in the Champions League, be it in the top eight or via a separate knock-out phase played out by teams who finish 9th-24th.
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Emery has, having worked with Monchi and Damian Vidagany for two previous winter windows at Villa, been busy; in those windows, the Lions have added Alex Moreno, Jhon Duran, Morgan Rogers and Joe Gauci. They have arrived with differing profiles, but many of the deals done have been affordable, prudent and with a thought for the long-term prosperity of Villa's squad.
Villa are, of course, financially healthy, if not in a position to spend freely. The PSR limitations are well documented, but they could yet have wriggle room next month to recruit and top up the squad if it was monetarily viable. In France, there could be an opportunity to take advantage of.
In November, Olympique Lyonnais - one of Ligue 1's most prestigious clubs historically - were ordered in a hearing to remedy their financial position, after it was uncovered that they, or rather their ownership group Eagle Football Group, were in as much as £422m in debt. They were given a provisional demotion to Ligue 2 and banned from signing players in January, but they'll likely have to sell off their prized assets to substantially reduce their debt.
There are plenty of names you'd recognise in the Lyon squad currently if you were a Premier League fan - Ainsley Maitland-Niles is out there, as are Said Benrahma, Wilfried Zaha, Nemanja Matic and also former Villan Jordan Veretout - but also some exciting, young, talented attackers who Villa could seek out and replenish their forward line with for a suitable price.
Ernest Nuamah, the Ghanaian forward, ditched Fulham in the summer after breaking down in tears in his medical and disappearing to return to France, indicating that he wished to remain in Lyon. The former Nordsjaelland forward is only 21 and hasn't scored the goals he'd have liked since moving to France but remains a prospect of whom much is expected.
Rayan Cherki, also 21, has eight goal contributions in 15 games this season and is enjoying a better season in front of goal than last year. Technically gifted, Cherki is out of the club's academy and he has 50 goal contributions in 150 appearances, as well as enjoying European experience with Lyon. He is currently valued at £20m and has only 18 months left on his contract.
Then there is Malick Fofana, who is still only 19. He has become something of a success story in Lyon colours, scoring six goals and producing three assists in 19 appearances this season across domestic competitions and in the Europa League. Lyon signed him from Gent in Belgium in January of this year but he has already excelled in France and has been called up to represent Belgium. He is valued at around €30m and hopes to eventually follow idol Jeremy Doku to England.
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