Aston Villa transfer latest on defender link, agent breaks silence and loanee speaks out
Aston Villa have been credited with an interest in Real Sociedad attacking midfielder Brais Mendez ahead of the opening of the January transfer window. Villa will be able to conduct business from next Wednesday onwards, until late on the 31st of January, and Unai Emery - as well as Monchi, Damian Vidagany and the club's recruitment team - will be considering the options as the club looks to press on into the second half of the season.
Mendez, who also has gathered the attention of West Ham, has made six goal contributions this season for Sociedad, who are seventh in La Liga and are just outside the European spots. AS in Spain say that Mendez is on the watchlist of both Villa and West Ham prior to the winter window commencing.
Mendez, 27, can also play deeper in midfield and out wide. His contract with Sociedad lasts until 2028 and has a buy-out clause inserted worth up towards £60m.
READ MORE: The Aston Villa games Jhon Duran will miss, red card appeal process and FA Cup rule explained
READ: The Villa games Duran will miss, red card appeal process and FA Cup rule explained
READ: 'His mood darkened' - national media reaction to Villa's defeat to Newcastle
Silva a wanted man
Jorge Mendes, the agent of Benfica defender Antonio Silva who Villa have been linked with, has claimed that the youngster wishes to complete a move to Juventus in the New Year.
Silva, has already, despite being only 21, accrued 17 senior caps for his country but has struggled to play regularly for his club this season. Benfica could allow Silva to leave in January with a view to a permanent deal next summer worth in excess of £40m. Villa, Newcastle and Atletico Madrid, it's been claimed previously, are possible destinations, but Mendes now has spoken out and intimated that Juve are frontrunners.
“Juventus want Antonio Silva, and Antonio Silva wants Juventus,” Mendes told Sky Sport Italia. “Benfica have the last word, so patience is needed. We’ll see what happens. Surely, Antonio would love to join Juventus, but the transfer window is still closed, so we’ll see. He is an important player, he has quality and the best clubs in the world have followed him.”
Barry speaks out
Louie Barry, who has been recalled from his loan spell at Stockport County, has outlined his ambition to break into the Villa first team. The striker scored has scored 15 goals for Stockport since returning there on loan in the summer and will play his final game for the club on New Year's Day against Blues.
"As a loan player the goal is to go back to your parent club and hopefully play or be around," Barry said on Stockport's YouTube channel. "Obviously I’m a Villa fan, my dad has a Villa tattoo on his arm and his leg. He’ll probably get a Stockport one now because he loves County that much!
"The main goal now is to go back to Villa and I think I have earned that now. It’s about me showing them what I can do when I get back and hopefully break through. That is the number one goal."
It's expected that Barry could be sent out on yet another loan spell, this time with the expectation that he'll test himself in the Championship. The likes of Middlesbrough, Derby and Leeds have all been linked with moves for the forward.
