Tottenham v Aston Villa: Matt Maher preview
The latest transfer news as Aston Villa eye a former Chelsea midfielder, ending the chances of signing a Liverpool star.
Aston Villa have reportedly reignited their interest in a former England international midfielder as Unai Emery seeks to bolster his options in the centre of the park.
The Villans have had a remarkable 2025/26 so far, surprisingly stalling at the beginning before excelling with 11 wins on the trot. Emery’s side now find themselves third in the Premier League and closer to the title race than falling out of Champions League reckoning. Extraordinary.
There’s always room for improvement, though, and that’s particularly the case when Emery is in charge. The Spaniard has an obsession with perfection. He simply won’t stop until he’s satisfied, and that feeling intensifies when Villa are on a winning streak, as he wants to maintain consistency.
Aston Villa eye £35m ex-Chelsea star
In a bid to carry on Villa’s outstanding form, Emery is reportedly considering returning to one of his former top transfer targets. To add to the midfield cohort, TalkSPORT claims Villa are ‘exploring’ a deal to sign Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher on a six-month loan with an obligation to buy.
Gallagher has been on Emery’s radar for several years and Villa held a strong interest before he moved to Atletico. Gallagher is said to be happy in Spain but would be open to a Premier League return, as it may help his chances of making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
TalkSPORT’s report suggests Villa would be willing to pay around £35 million for Gallagher in the summer. As the Villans are still walking a fine line with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), delaying payments a few months can make a big difference.
Liverpool and Villa transfer reality now crystal clear
It was already obvious that Harvey Elliott’s time at Villa was up, but even more so now that Gallagher - an alternative player in his position - is being lined up. Elliott, last summer’s Under-21 European Championship Player of the Tournament, has played just five times for Villa and hasn’t featured since October.
Birmingham World understands Villa had an obligation to turn Elliott’s season-long loan move into a permanent deal worth £35 million if he made 10 appearances or more. Emery decided within a couple of months of Elliott’s arrival that he wasn’t the right fit. Villa, therefore, couldn’t afford for the obligation clause to kick in.
Emery recently confirmed as much, finally breaking his silence after months of avoiding the subject. “The problem we have with Harvey is this year he is on loan and in case he is playing matches, we must buy him,” Emery admitted. “We decided two months ago we are not convinced to sign him, spending the money we need. This is the issue."
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