Aston Villa's chance to change Unai Emery's squad comes in just under nine weeks' time
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
View Image
The January transfer window will soon be on the radar of Aston Villa fans, who will be anticipating improvements to Unai Emery’s squad.
That is easier said than done midway through the campaign, but Villa proved that there is business to be done in the winter window after signing Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Axel Disasi on loan, while Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia joined permanently.
However, Villa raised nearly £100 million in transfer fees through the sales of Jhon Duran, Diego Carlos, and Jaden Philogene.
It was, on the whole, a relatively quiet summer of activity for Villa, but they still managed to recruit five first-team players — three of whom arrived on deadline day: Harvey Elliott, Victor Lindelof, and Jadon Sancho.
They followed the earlier arrivals of Marco Bizot and Evann Guessand, who joined permanently from Stade Brest and Nice, respectively.
Asked about the winter window in their latest Claret & Blue Q&A, John Townley said: “A striker is probably the position we could focus on in January. Back in the summer, I said I was happy to have Donyell Malen as a backup if needed until January, and then reassess. Watkins hasn’t scored many goals so far, so that’s a consideration.
“I mentioned in the summer that someone like Calvert-Lewin could be a useful squad addition. He’s doing well at Leeds, not going to score 20 goals a season - or maybe even 10 - but he adds something to the squad.
"Given our financial constraints, I don’t think we can turn our nose up at that level of player, especially considering the manager at the helm. He’s not world-class, but as a squad option, he would’ve been useful.
“That said, we can’t ignore that last January we sold around £100 million worth of players - Duran, Carlos, and Philogene. I’m not sure we have that kind of disposable asset this time.
“That doesn’t rule out significant business, though. Historically, Villa’s January windows have been active. Last season we sold £100 million but still brought in players like Malen, Garcia, Rashford, and Asensio.
“It’s still quite a way until January, but we need to evaluate: what do we actually need? Is there a position that needs upgrading due to injury or form? Take right back, for example: Cash is having a great season, so that may not be a priority. Garcia hasn’t played yet this season, so we need to plan for contingencies.
“If the window opened tomorrow, I’d start by looking at a striker. Of course, any decision would involve Emery - as sporting director, I’d want his input. It’s no use saying, “We need a winger,” if Emery feels another position is more pressing. Right now, with Cash cementing his place at right back, that’s one less concern.”
Where should Villa strengthen in January? Tell us here
Every day, the BirminghamLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Aston Villa content.
Our dedicated reporter John Townley - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Villa newsletter here.
You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive's Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.
If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.
Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.
Content Image
Content Image