Aston Villa are reportedly interested in adding further quality to their team after a busy January windowplaceholder image
Aston Villa are reportedly interested in adding further quality to their team after a busy January window | Getty Images
Aston Villa have been one of busiest teams in the Premier League during the winter window - and that could continue.
After a fairly subdued summer, the action and excitement of the transfer window has made Villa Park a lively place this January.
So far, Unai Emery’s side have secured four major signings in the form of promising teenage forwards Brian Madjo and Alysson, along with two very familiar faces in Tammy Abraham and Douglas Luiz, who are both back for a second stint at Villa Park.
Abraham led the line during the 2018/19 during a loan spell from Chelsea and played a pivotal role in helping the club win promotion before spells at AC Milan, AS Roma and most recently Besiktas, while Luiz enjoyed five fine seasons in the West Midlands before surprisingly departing to Juventus for £43m amid the club’s PSR concerns at the time.
Villa have also allowed the likes of Donyell Malen, Evann Guessand and Yasin Özcan to depart as part of their winter rebuild and as such may need to find some fresh reinforcements before the window slams shut. Few would be surprised if Unai Emery didn’t have a few more tricks up his sleeve in the final weekend of the window as he strives to lead the team to a first league title since 1981 - but who could still come in?
Aston Villa ‘express interest’ in Fulham star
Aston Villa are currently struggling with an avalanche of injuries, with Youri Tielemans, Ross Barkey, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn all missing due to injury. This, in part, has led to reports from Birmingham World linking the club with a move to sign Fulham star Harry Wilson, with the Wales international currently in the final few months of his contract.
BBC Sport understands Marco Silva’s men want to keep Wilson at the club after his impressive performances this term which have seen him score eight and register four assists. However, those discussions have so far stalled, meaning there’s a slight possibility that the 28-year-old could leave for a cut-price fee in the summer rather than going on a free.
Wilson has played a great deal of his football on the right wing this season but has also proved effective in the central attacking midfield role. If signed, he’d provide competition for the likes of Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendía and Jadon Sancho, and his goalscoring prowess would certainly make him a useful addition - the question now is whether Fulham would prefer to secure a transfer fee while they still can or keep hold of him until the summer.
Aston Villa could still move for former Chelsea star
Despite signing Luiz, there’s also reports circulating that Aston Villa could be in the market for one more box-to-box midfielder to boost the team’s chances of competing on all fronts.
AC Milan star Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who recently regained his place in the England squad, is thought to be one of the names under consideration based on reports from Guardian Sport. Loftus-Cheek moved to Serie A from Chelsea in 2023 after loans at Crystal Palace and Fulham. He’s a player renowned for his excellent stamina, strength and versatility which has also seen him be used as a right wing-back on occasion.
All of that makes him a tempting target should Villa feel that Luiz alone cannot fill the void left by the many recent injuries - and while it’s still possible that Loftus-Cheek could sign a new contract with Milan instead of moving, his representatives have reportedly offered him to several sides, Villa among them.
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