Aston Villa are battling Fulham and West Ham to re-sign a former player, and a favourite has been named in the race for his signature.
Villa locked in fierce European battle with Champions League possible
Fourth place belongs to Villa for now, but the points cushion between them and the clubs below is slender.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts
Sunday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest did not add to their tally, but with Liverpool three points behind in fifth and Chelsea further back again, the ground Unai Emery's side have built over the course of the season remains intact.
The Premier League's confirmation that a fifth Champions League spot is available for 2026/27 has also changed the calculation slightly — fifth place is now enough to qualify directly, which means the pressure on Villa is somewhat less acute than it might otherwise have been.
The Europa League provides another route entirely.
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He could be tempted.
Villa host Bologna on Thursday in the quarter-final second leg, protecting a 3-1 advantage from the away fixture in Italy last week.
Progress would take them into the semi-finals with a genuine chance of a run to the final in May — and with it, an automatic Champions League berth regardless of where they finish domestically.
Six league games remain after that, a run that includes Sunderland, Fulham, Tottenham, Burnley, Liverpool and Man City.
Aston Villa's final six Premier League games of the season Date
Sunderland (home) April 19
Fulham (away) April 25
Tottenham (home) May 2
Burnley (away) May 9
Liverpool (home) May 17
Man City (away) May 24
It is a schedule with genuine difficulty at both ends, and the visit to the Etihad on the final day will likely matter.
In the meantime, Emery is beginning to think about the squad he wants available for next season's potential European campaign, and one area of interest has emerged from Monday's transfer reporting.
Aston Villa battling Fulham and West Ham to re-sign Axel Disasi
According to The Sportzine, Villa are among the clubs interested in signing Axel Disasi from Chelsea on a permanent basis this summer, with West Ham and Fulham also keeping tabs on the French centre-back.
West Ham United's Axel Disasi and Soungoutou Magassa celebrate winning the penalty shootout
West Ham are described as leading the chase for their current loanee, though Chelsea's determination to sell permanently means the final destination will depend on which club is prepared to meet their asking price.
Disasi is familiar territory for Villa.
He spent the second half of last season at the club on loan, contributing seven league appearances during the run-in.
The move did not lead to a permanent one at the time, but the experience means Villa know exactly what they would be getting — a physically imposing, technically assured centre-back who was regarded as one of the better defenders in Ligue 1 before his move to Stamford Bridge in 2023 for £38.5m.
His time at Chelsea under Enzo Maresca turned into a complete write-off. He was excluded from squads and training groups, going months without competitive football before deadline day rescued him with a loan to West Ham.
Disasi
At the London Stadium he has rebuilt his form considerably, featuring regularly and playing 90 minutes in several consecutive league outings.
At 28, he is in the prime years of his career and has an argument that the Chelsea period represents an aberration rather than the full picture of what he can offer.
For Villa, adding defensive cover and depth ahead of a season in which they expect to compete in the Champions League makes clear sense.
Chelsea are expected to accept significantly less than the £38.5m they paid Monaco, given the circumstances of his departure and his contract status.
Whether Villa can move ahead of West Ham in what looks like a straightforward competition for his signature will come down to price, and to what the player himself wants.
In terms of alternative centre-backs, Villa are said to be one of the many clubs chasing Marcos Senesi on a free transfer.
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