Aston Villa are keen to climb the Premier League table after a mixed start to the campaign and could now turn to a veteran midfielder once the January window opens.
Aston Villa turn focus to Premier League after Go Ahead Eagles loss
Ultimately, the Villans' 2-1 loss to Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday night won't be a result that Unai Emery is too keen to revisit, albeit he will hope it was a blip rather than a sign of things to come.
Providing an honest reflection after the match, club captain John McGinn shared his frustration that the Deventer-based club were given 'life from nowhere' to find their way back into the match, which ultimately led to their downfall.
Aston-Villa-John-McGinn
He said: "When you give a team that is really passionate and up for it at home — they’ve not played in Europe for a while — and you give them some motivation and a bit of life, you get punished. Tonight, we gave them life from nowhere, and that’s why we have been beaten."
Learning harsh lessons, Aston Villa found out the hard way that there are no easy matches in Europe. Still, they are among the favourites to win the competition and could be helped by bringing Real Madrid forward Endrick to the club in January if they can win the battle for his signature.
Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia may also come in to compete within Aston Villa's forward line, potentially offering an alternative in attack to Ollie Watkins.
Nevertheless, Emery appears to have the engine room on his mind once the mid-season transfer period comes around and may now have identified his preferred candidate to offer strength in the middle of the park.
Aston Villa eyeing move for Man City star Mateo Kovacic
According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are keen to sign Manchester City star Mateo Kovacic and may be able to land the Croatia international for a knockdown fee due to his contract situation.
The report states that 'there are no talks ongoing over a new contract' for the ex-Chelsea star at the Etihad Stadium, and Pep Guardiola may opt to cash in during the mid-season window with AC Milan, West Ham United, Villarreal and Real Betis all in the hunt for his signature.
Five similar players to Mateo Kovacic (FBRef)
Vitinha
Pierre Hojbjerg
Luka Modric
Nicolo Rovella
Patrick Berg
Earning £150,000 per week in Manchester, Kovacic will be out of contract at his current employers in the summer of 2027, and he is now said to be surplus to requirements after featuring in only four minutes of Premier League football this term.
While he is unlikely to be a long-term midfield solution, he could potentially be an intelligent pickup for Aston Villa as they aim to climb the table and make strides in the Europa League.