Enzo Maresca and Unai Emeryplaceholder image
Enzo Maresca and Unai Emery | Getty Images
Aston Villa should be looking to fix a major issue in January
Aston Villa have their sights set on getting into the Champions League this season. They have risen into the top four along with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. The Midlands outfit won 2-1 away at Leeds United at Elland Road last time out.
Morgan Rogers managed to get himself on the scoresheet twice against the Whites in West Yorkshire. Unai Emery’s side will be in confident mood as they look to keep their momentum going over the course of the festive period. They are back in action on Thursday night against Young Boys in the Europa League at Villa Park.
Aston Villa need to learn from Chelsea transfer disaster last season
Aston Villa risk leaving themselves short of striking options if they don’t sign one in the January transfer window. They need some competition at the top end of the pitch for Ollie Watkins. League rivals Chelsea didn’t land a forward last winter and play a chunk of the last campaign without a recognised number nine which was far from ideal, after injuries to the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu. They solved the issue this past summer by bringing in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
If Watkins got injured, Emery wouldn’t have anyone to pick from and that would seriously hurt his team’s chances of getting back into the Champions League. Therefore, that has to be a priority, even if they only got someone in on loan. They need a back-up and a plan B to call upon in matches if they need something different to get a goal.
There are question marks over the futures of loan pair Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them head back to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively due to a lack of game time. It that is the case, space and funds would be freed up for reinforcements.
Who have Aston Villa been linked with ahead of January transfer window?
Aston Villa have been linked with a few names. Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia is said to be on their radar along with Wolves and Sunderland. The 21-year-old is under contract with the La Liga giants until June 2030 so they are under no pressure to cash in on him anytime soon.
Garcia, who has been on the books of RCD Mallorca in the past, has represented his current club at various different youth levels over recent years. He broke into their B team in 2021 and went on to fire 30 goals in 73 competitive matches. He has since featured on 22 occasions for their first-team and has found the net on five occasions, all of which came last term.
ESPN have claimed Aston Villa are interested in Brentford star Igor Thiago. Tottenham Hotspur have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for the Brazilian. He has caught the eye with the Bees over recent times and they could face a battle to keep hold of him down the line after scoring 10 goals so far under Keith Andrews.
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