Julian Brandt (L) celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen in Dortmund, western Germany on October 20, 2023. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)placeholder image
Julian Brandt (L) celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and SV Werder Bremen in Dortmund, western Germany on October 20, 2023. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP) | AFP via Getty Images
Aston Villa have the opportunity to freshen up their ranks in the January transfer window
Aston Villa are having to juggle Europa League duties with Premier League football this season. They missed out on the Champions League on the final day of the last campaign. The Midlands outfit are hoping to get into the top four this time around if possible.
Unai Emery was appointed as their head coach back in 2022. Prior to his move back to England, he caught the eye in La Liga at Villarreal. The ex-Arsenal man was picked as the replacement for Steven Gerrard at Villa Park and he has since done an impressive job overall. We have asked AI (Grok) to predict Aston Villa’s January signings....
Aston Villa predicted to sign four new players in January
Aston Villa have been predicted by AI to sign Borrusia Dortmund attacker Julian Brandt this winter. The 29-year-old, who is a Germany international with 48 caps under his belt, joined Dortmund for £22million in 2019 from Bayer Leverkusen. He has since made 279 appearances in all competitions and has scored 50 goals, four of which have come this term.
Emery’s side have been backed to land Leverkusen defender Loic Bade. The centre-back only moved to the Bundesliga this past summer from Sevilla for around £25 million. He had a loan spell at Nottingham Forest back in 2022 but struggled for minutes at the City Ground. Nevertheless, he has since managed to get his career on track.
Aston Villa have been tipped to secure the services of Villarreal left-back Sergi Cardona. If he joined, he would battle it out with the likes of Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen for a place in the starting XI. He moved to Stadio de la Cerámica on a free transfer the end of his contract at Las Palmas.
Gabriel Sara has also been suggested as an addition for Villa in the upcoming transfer window. The former Norwich City midfielder currently plays his football in Turkey for Galatasaray. He made the switch to Istanbul last year for approximately £16m.
Who could leave Aston Villa?
In terms of outgoings, AI has mentioned Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez as a potential departee. The stopper was eyed by Manchester United earlier this year but stayed put beyond the last deadline. If he did leave, a replacement would need to be sourced between the sticks.
Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Amadou Onana have also been earmarked as players who could possibly head out the exit door amid expected attention from elsewhere. However, it would be a surprise to see any of them leave midway through a season. They are all key players and have a big influence in the squad.
Rogers, 23, was snapped up back in 2023 from Middlesbrough in the Championship and he has since made the step up to the top flight with ease. He rose up through the ranks at Manchester City and was loaned out to Lincoln City, AFC Bournemouth and Blackpool in the Football League to get some experience under his belt before leaving permanently to the Riverside Stadium.
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