Aston Villa transfer latest as link emerges with winger who has 'impressed scouts'
Aston Villa are going to be active in this January transfer window in order to ensure Unai Emery has the sufficient ammunition to have a real crack at securing a third straight campaign in Europe next season. Villa beat Leicester City on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run at Villa Park to ten matches and move to within four points of fourth placed Chelsea, while they remain well placed when the Champions League resumes this month.
The Lions' hierarchy have already been active this month; they've recalled Louie Barry and Lewis Dobbin from their respective loan spells, with the intention of finding another club - be it permanently or on another loan spell - for the former and having already done so for the latter.
Villa have also made contact with Borussia Dortmund over a prospective deal involving Dutch international Donyell Malen; the forward, who has been in the Bundesliga since 2021, has been targeted as a potential figure who can help to beef up Emery's options within his squad for the final third of the pitch.
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Another name has cropped up, as is generally the case in any transfer window - let alone a side who maintain European credentials. Clearly Villa are eager to add another attacker and, if financially practical, another versatile full-back in order to help cover the back-line with Matty Cash the only current senior right-back and Pau Torres sidelined for the next two months.
Reports suggest that Igor Paixao has been watched by Villa, among a cluster of Premier League teams including Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Paixao plays for Feyenoord and is in the middle of enjoying a particularly fruitful season having produced five goals and 13 assists in 24 appearances in all competitions - including five goal contributions in the Champions League.
The Brazilian, who is 25, signed a new contract in October which runs for another four years so he wouldn't come cheap to any suitor who were considering whether to firm up their interest with a concrete offer. Feyenoord are fourth in Eredivisie, ten points behind clear leaders PSV Eindhoven.
