Aston Villa have been limited by the Premier League's ill-famed Profit and Sustainability rules this summer, but Unai Emery remains in charge and the club have spent wisely to ensure they have the tools to tackle the season ahead.
And while roadblocks have been swerved over the past few months, with the recent £40m sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United an example of how the Midlands outfit have been hamstrung this term, one or two further additions may yet be made before the September 1st deadline.
That sale, poignant as it is, could lead to the signing of Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson, with Emery personally driving the potential deal. He's full of untapped potential, but the Spanish tactician might just be the perfect man to lift him toward that high ceiling.
But it's not just the frontline Emery is mulling over, with a deal in the works for a new defensive player too.
Aston Villa eyeing new defender
Aston Villa welcomed 19-year-old centre-back Yasin Ozcan to their fold this summer after a pre-contract agreement, but the former Kasimpasa star has headed straight out on loan to Anderlecht.
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However, a right-sided and versatile player remains of interest to the Villans, with Emery interested in signing an up-and-comer skilled across defence and in a number six berth.
Indeed, according to Foot Mercato, Villa have been buoyed in their summer-long bid to sign teenager Jaydee Canvot after the Toulouse star rejected a proposal from Saudi Arabia, and may be preparing a new offer for him in the final days of the window.
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Jaydee Canvot in action for Toulouse against PSG.
The £17m-rated youngster has already been the subject of one Aston Villa bid this summer, and it would appear Emery is persisting in his chase, and maybe that will pay off.
Why Villa want Jaydee Canvot
Canvot only broke into Toulouse's senior set-up last season, starting 12 Ligue 1 matches in total, having featured for only five minutes across the opening 15 fixtures of the term.
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Shifting between central defence and an anchoring midfield role, Canvot showed why there's such excitement around him, assuredly completing 87% of his passes and also completing 70% of his dribbles, denoting control and purpose when carrying the ball forward.
His precision and adeptness in reading the game suggest he would be perfect for life in the Premier League, already framed at 6 foot 2 besides.
This versatile defensive style even suggests that Canvot could emulate his countryman Boubacar Kamara and play a similar role at Villa Park. Data-driven platform FBref has actually recorded Kamara to be one of Canvot's most statistically similar players, ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for through balls and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90.
Aston Villa's Boubacar Kamara in action with Club Brugge's Ardon Jashari
Aston Villa's Boubacar Kamara in action with Club Brugge's Ardon Jashari
His passing and natural predilection for forward play further underscore his potential in Emery's system, and that also substantiates the claim that he could be the next version of Kamara, who has been described by the boss in the past as being "very important" to the side's build-up and link-up play.
However, the 25-year-old has suffered his share of injury problems since joining Aston Villa from Marseille in 2022, and so while Canvot would replicate him in jumping to England over the Channel and settling in Aston, Birmingham, he would also ease the worries around another setback to Kamara, providing a similar presence and absorbing the fruits of his more experienced peer's teachings.
Boubacar Kamara - Aston Villa Career (by season)
Season
25/26
24/25
23/24
22/23
Data via Transfermarkt
The Athletic's David Ornstein has noted that Canvot is "viewed as a [sic] top prospect," and Villa would provide him with the perfect nurturing ground to grow into his skin and reach the level of first-team stars such as Kamara.