Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will be looking forward to the January transfer window opening next week so he can bolster his squad.
On the surface, the first team looks in good health, but there are a few positions that could do with some fresh bodies, especially the defence.
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Diego Carlos and Tyrone Mings will both be 32 by the time the season finishes, indicating that a new centre-back or two could be the priority next month.
Aston Villa eyeing move for AC Milan star
According to MilanLive (via Sport Witness) Villa are looking to press ahead with a deal for defender Fikayo Tomori, with Newcastle United and West Ham United also keen on securing a deal to sign the centre-back.
Milan are demanding a transfer fee in the region of around €30m (£25m), which certainly wouldn’t break the bank at Villa, allowing Emery to sign a player who could slot straight into the starting XI in the process.
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Tomori started out at Chelsea, making a total of 27 appearances without ever really breaking through to become a star in the first team.
Emery could repeat his Morgan Rogers masterclass by signing Tomori, as the current Villa star also had to move elsewhere from a big Premier League club to make the grade.
Why Fikayo Tomori could be a Morgan Rogers repeat
Rogers joined Manchester City in 2019, but over the next few years, he failed to make an appearance for the senior side, enjoying loan spells elsewhere before finding his feet at Boro.
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Since securing his big move to Villa, the attacking midfielder has been a revelation, since scoring eight goals and grabbing five assists for the club, impressing this season in particular.
Similarly, Tomori moved away from a big club in Chelsea, subsequently joining Milan back in 2021 and the move has allowed him the chance to develop further as a player.
Not only has he made over 150 appearances for the Serie A side, winning the league title in 2021/22, but he has also won five England caps too.
Hailed as “skilful” by former Milan defender and Italian icon Franco Baresi, the 27-year-old has averaged a 93% pass success rate in the top flight this season, along with losing possession just 3.6 times per game and winning 2.8 total duels per match – a success rate of 58% - as he has demonstrated his abilities for the club whenever called upon.
Tomori's Serie A stats (three full seasons at AC Milan)
Metric (per 90)
Accurate passes
Tackles
Ground duels won
Possession lost
Interceptions
Via Sofascore
His experience in Serie A could certainly stand him in good stead should Tomori make the return to the Premier League in January.
If Emery could perhaps sell Carlos and raise some funds, a move for the England international would be a wise one indeed, especially as it looks as though he could be approaching his prime.
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With 30 appearances in the Champions League to his name, Tomori wouldn’t be fazed by performing on Europe’s biggest stage either, yet another plus for the club.
The winter window opens next week, which means the supporters won't have a long time to wait in order to see a new signing or two.
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