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Aston Villa transfer news latest as Monchi reveals January plans and potential new signings emerge
Aston Villa are facing a series of decisions as the January transfer window approaches. The club had a busy summer transfer window, selling Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby to address issues related to the infamous PSR, while bringing in players such as Amadou Onana, Jaden Philogene and Ian Maatsen.
Further decisions await Unai Emery and his team, including Monchi and Damian Vidagany. They must decide what to do with young talents like Kosta Nedelkovic and Louie Barry, and whether there is scope for Villa to add to their first-team squad during the window.
Double transfer link
Villa have expressed an interest in Bologna forward Santiago Castro ahead of the opening of the January transfer window, according to reports. Castro, 20, only signed for last year's Serie A surprise package Bologna last January, when arriving from Velez Sarsfield in his native Argentina.
The young attacker has impressed this season in the Bologna first team; while they've taken only one point from five Champions League games so far and, as a result, are set to be knocked out of Europe entirely next month, Bologna have continued to be competitive in Serie A, if not quite in the spectacular manner in which they caught the eye last year.
Castro has scored five goals in 20 appearances so far this season and that has included strikes against Cesc Fabregas' Como, AS Roma and Europa League champions Atalanta, who are also in the Champions League this season. Castro has spent this season playing alongside Villa winger and Bologna loanee Samuel Iling-Junior, who will head back to Birmingham next summer.
READ: Monchi awaiting transfer window in which Villa will be alive to 'possibilities'
READ: Villa dealt Champions League blow as they prepare for Monaco and Celtic
Castro, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal and Newcastle and who is expected to demand a fee in the region of £35m, has helped Bologna to fill the void left by the departure of Joshua Zirkzee, after the Dutchman - following an excellent season last year - left to join Manchester United. CaughtOffside say Villa are keeping tabs.
Meanwhile, they've also been credited with an interest in centre half Antonio Silva of Benfica. The Portuguese defender 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, are possible destinations.
'Alive to any possibilities'
Villa's president of football operations Monchi says that the club will be alive to any possibilities that present themselves to the club in the forthcoming January transfer window. Villa will likely have to be careful as to how much they spend with the well documented PSR rules in mind, but that doesn't mean that deals can't be concluded if they see fit.
Villa are well placed in the Champions League, in a position of strength when it comes to progressing into the latter stages of the competition and with only two more group matches left to come against Monaco and Celtic. In the Premier League, successive home wins last week meant that they have ended their winless run which preceded it and are back into the top half ahead of their trip to Nottingham Forest this weekend.
It has enticingly set up the Christmas period for Villa and Unai Emery, who has worked to bed in the new signings like Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen over the course of the season, while also regaining Boubacar Kamara, Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia from long-term injuries. In January, the prospect of topping the squad up is something of interest to Monchi, who continues to enjoy working with long-term colleague Emery.
"We are working to improve the level of the squad, but it's not easy because we have a top squad and a top team," Monchi told Amazon Prime Video. "My job is to try and increase this level. We are working, because in 20 days the transfer window opens and we have to be prepared in case there are some possibilities.
"I think we're doing a good season, but it's important we continue at this level. In the Champions League we are very happy because we are near the top of the qualification and in the Premier League, it's true that in the last month we've had some problems, but the last two games we won and we are nearer to our objective.
"To work with Unai is easy, because he is a top coach and I've known him for ten years, since we were in Sevilla. I understand what he needs. For him, the most important thing is to work. I love to work, I love my job and I think that when you work with a coach, the most important thing is to bring what he wants. I try every day to continue in his way.
"We have loved the Europa League, we love to play in Europe. We love to compete in Europe and when you love something, it's easier to find the success."
Last January, Villa made the relatively low key signing of Morgan Rogers, who has proceeded to make himself an invaluable member of the starting XI in the space of 12 months; Rogers already looks at home at European football's top table and has broken into the England fold. Did Monchi and Villa expect such a dramatic acceleration in his development?
"I'll be honest with you...no! It's very difficult to sign in the transfer window," he added. "With Morgan Rogers, the most important thing has been that Unai has every confidence in him. Step by step, since when he arrived from Middlesbrough, he is increasing his level. For us, he's an important player but the success of Morgan is 50% Morgan and 50% Unai."
Guarantee needed
Villa transfer target Álex Baena has revealed the one condition he needs to be guaranteed if he is to join Unai Emery's side from current club Villarreal.
Baena has been a named often linked to the Villans in recent windows having worked with Emery at the Yellow Submarine. The 23-year-old is an exciting attacking midfielder and winger who was recently dubbed 'Europe's most creative player'.
With five goals and three assists to his name in La Liga so far this season, the Spaniard has been one of the stars in a Villarreal team that sit pretty in fifth. Baena is also tied with Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka for the most league assists in Europe since the start of last season with 19.
Tomori available
AC Milan are inviting interested parties to make transfer offers for defender Fikayo Tomori next summer, with bids in the region of £30-40m expected to be considered. Aston Villa were linked with a move for England international Tomori, the Chelsea academy product, earlier this week and now reports have emerged in Italy that Milan are looking to accelerate the process by identifying replacements.
Tomori, 26, has been linked with Villa, Juventus, Newcastle and West Ham in recent times; having dropped out of the Milan starting XI in Serie A under manager Paulo Fonseca, questions have been raised about his long-term future at the San Siro.
The 26-year-old has continued to be a regular pick in the Champions League - he was at the heart of the defence for the entire game as they emerged 3-1 victors at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid earlier this month - but he's played just 11 league minutes, spanning two appearances, since the beginning of October.
READ MORE: Aston Villa invited to make transfer bid as England defender told he can move
Kosta decision
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will weigh up the possibility of sending Kosta Nedeljkovic out on loan in January.
The right-back featured off the bench in Villa's first three Premier League's games against West Ham, Arsenal and Leicester City, but wasn't included in six of the last seven matchday squads.
Nedeljkovic started both Carabao Cup games against Wycombe Wanderers, before coming on for 10 minutes at the end of Villa's Champions League match with Club Brugge last month. Lamare Bogarde started ahead of the 18-year-old for the matches against Leicester, Everton and BSC Young Boys while Matty Cash was injured.
READ MORE: Unai Emery confirms January transfer dilemma after summer Aston Villa arrival
Change for Chuk
Former Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has been permitted a loan move away from Chelsea in the January transfer window, with both Old Firm sides Celtic and Rangers reportedly offered the chance to sign the England youth international next month.
Chukwuemeka won the FA Youth Cup with Villa in 2021 and was on the periphery of the first team under Dean Smith and then Steven Gerrard. He made 16 first-team appearances for Villa, including three starts, but he left for Chelsea in the summer of 2022 for a fee worth in the region of £20m.
The young midfielder, who is still only 21, has suffered with injury setbacks since moving to Stamford Bridge, but nevertheless he has made only 31 appearances across two and a half years at the Blues. This year, Chukwuemeka has been limited to minutes in the EFL Cup and the Europa Conference League, such is the competition for places under Enzo Maresca.
READ MORE: Midfielder cleared to make transfer after £20m Aston Villa exit
Queuing up
Aston Villa talent Louie Barry is a target for Derby County in the January transfer window according to reports.
Barry is currently on at Stockport County on loan in League One and is in superb form having scored an incredible 15 goals already this term and bagged another goal against Exeter City yesterday.
Speculation is mounting that Barry could be recalled by Villa in January with Stockport fans already fearing the worst. Should that happen he could be sent to the Championship to further his developement. And now Alan Nixon is claiming Derby want the talented 21-year-old when the window opens next month.
READ: Aston Villa talent linked with Derby County transfer
