While this has been a quiet January transfer window on the whole for a lot of teams, at Aston Villa, things have been rather more frantic.
Much of this month has been dominated by chatter of a new striker arriving and in the form of Tammy Abraham, Unai Emery got his man.
Abraham isn’t the only striker the Villans have looked at with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen reportedly other options to bolster the forward line.
Aston-Villa-Abraham-Grealish
That said, Villa have improved other areas and despite initially turning their attention towards Ruben Loftus-Cheek, eventually re-signed Douglas Luiz from Juventus on loan.
Where else could Emery’s side improve? Well, further additions are not out of the question.
Aston Villa lodge big money bid
With Abraham and Luiz in, Emery has managed to improve his squad in a fantastic way.
The pair offer experience, experience of Villa Park too, and they should both be able to hit the ground running pretty swiftly.
Douglas Luiz career stats
They will have to as well, with Ollie Watkins picking up an injury in midweek. That means Abraham is likely to be thrust straight into the action.
Speaking of forward players, a new target has emerged in the shape of Spanish sensation Ferran Torres.
Previously of Manchester City and now at Barcelona, reports in Spain have suggested that Villa have turned their attentions towards Torres.
The report notes that Villa chiefs have actually lodged a club-record bid to the tune of €80m (£69m) after holding talks with Barca.
FC Barcelona's Ferran Torres celebrates scoring their second goal
It’s reported that Villa were ready to pay €60m up front with another €20m in add-ons. However, that offer has been rejected and Torres is not for sale, certainly not at that price anyway.
Villa's current record move stands at £51.9m, which they spent to bring Mousa Diaby to the club.
Aston Villa record signings Related
Aston Villa's most expensive signings of all time
NSWE have splashed the cash in recent years.
Why Torres could be Villa’s new Morgan Rogers
It’s been two years now since Morgan Rogers first signed for Villa and it’s been quite the meteoric rise for the attacking midfielder.
He’s now a full England international and is in with a real shout of starting for Thomas Tuchel’s men in the United States this summer.
Morgan-Rogers-Aston-Villa
Before then, however, the Englishman has been making fantastic progress in the Midlands, notably a career best haul of 14 goals and 16 assists in all competitions last season.
He’s Villa’s main man in the final third, but he could do with some help. That’s where Torres would come into the equation, but only if they can get Barca to agree to sell.
Like Rogers, the Spain international was once of Manchester City’s parish and like Rogers, he’s a particularly versatile footballer. This season, the 25-year-old has played as a striker on 22 occasions, but he’s also featured off either wing. Across all competitions, he’s proven himself to be a goal threat like Rogers, netting 15 times.
This is a player who doesn’t just contribute to games with goals. He’s a creative asset too, registering seven assists last term. While he often influences play further forward than Rogers, that magical ability to create something out of nothing would make him a phenomenal signing.
Torres vs Rogers in 2025/26
Stat (per 90 mins)
As the data showcases, they create a similar number of chances per 90 minutes, while their take-on success and shot accuracy are alike too.
Playing a bit deeper, Rogers’ completed take-ons eclipse the Spaniard, but in 2024/25, Torres produced 0.9 per 90, moving him closer to the Englishman for that particular metric.
torres-barcelona-aston-villa-premier-league-transfer-gossip-diaby
Barcelona forward Ferran Torres.
While a move does look unlikely in the last day of the window, perhaps this is one to monitor for the summer. If Aston Villa could secure Champions League football for 2026/27, that would certainly help their ambitions of landing the Barcelona star.
jack-grealish-aston-villa Related
[Emery's own Grealish: Aston Villa make approach for "world-class" £52m star](https://www.footballfancast.com/emerys-own-grealish-aston-villa-make-approach-for-brahim-diaz/ "Emery's own Grealish: Aston Villa make approach for "world-class" £52m star")
Aston Villa have set their sights on a star who coiuld emulate Jack Grealish in the West Midlands.