Aston Villa's Transfer Needs: Key Targets and Challenges
Aston Villa’s bruising opening-day defeat has left the club with no place to hide. Unai Emery needs reinforcements, and not just warm bodies. Proper signings. Game-changers.
At the top of that wishlist sits Rafael Leão. The Milan winger has long been linked with a move to England and, once again, his name is circling around Villa Park. With Villa’s attack misfiring, Leão is being talked up as a potential solution – assuming the answer to their problems doesn’t turn out to be Nicolas Jackson or Jean-Philippe Mateta, both of whom remain on the radar.
Villa’s problems are not confined to the front line. That heavy defeat to Brighton exposed a midfield that looked flimsy and short of authority. Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin has emerged as a candidate to stiffen things up in the middle of the pitch, a player whose energy and bite could change the feel of Emery’s engine room. Behind them, the club are moving for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez, with the deal gathering pace after Southampton pushed back on attempts to prise away Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Higher up the table, the Enzo Fernández saga refuses to die down. Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has repeatedly stopped short of shutting the door on a possible exit, and Manchester City are still listening. City, who have admired the World Cup winner for some time, could test Chelsea’s resolve again.
Chelsea, though, have their own plan. They continue to see Bournemouth’s Alex Scott as a prime midfield replacement. The clock is ticking. Reports say three bids have already been knocked back this summer, and patience in Bournemouth is clearly paying off. If Scott proves unattainable, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga is being mentioned as an alternative target, though prising him from the Bernabéu would be a very different kind of operation.
City are busy elsewhere too. They have now been linked with Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, joining Tottenham in their admiration for the Dutchman. The timing is awkward. With no new forwards through the door at Anfield, it is hard to see Liverpool entertaining offers for a player who has become central to their attacking options.
While that door stays shut, Liverpool are still trying to open another. Their pursuit of Bradley Barcola has stalled, negotiations proving difficult to move on. So attention is drifting towards Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, a player who would address a glaring need in the middle of Andoni Iraola’s side.
Drop into the Championship and the tone changes, but the urgency does not. Sheffield United have started the season with back-to-back 0-0 draws. Two clean sheets, but also two reminders that Chris Wilder wants more security at the back. Adam Webster, now a free agent after leaving Brighton, has caught the Blades’ eye as an experienced option to shore up central defence.
Further down the pyramid, Wrexham continue to punch big in the market. They are targeting Pavel Sulc, currently at Lyon and valued at around £10m. It is an ambitious move, but hardly out of character for a club that has already stretched its French scouting network this summer. Wrexham also like Angers left-back Jacques Ekomié, though they are not alone there. West Ham are watching the same player, while simultaneously bracing themselves for the possibility that Brentford could swoop for El Hadji Malick Diouf.
From Villa’s scramble to repair the damage of opening day to Wrexham’s bold tilt at Ligue 1 talent, the market is moving. The question now is who blinks first – and who ends up paying for hesitation once the window slams shut.
