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Dewsbury-Hall, Dibling, Baleba and the Aston Villa transfer links before January window
Aston Villa are fast approaching the January transfer window and, with it, the potential to add to their squad which is having to cope with schedules at home and in Europe. Villa were busy, within reason, in the summer, bringing in the likes of Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen and Jaden Philogene while balancing the books with the sales of Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz.
Whether Villa have much wriggle room when it comes to PSR remains to be seen, but it's plausible that Unai Emery would like to top up his squad - especially if, as there remains every chance, the Lions progress deeper into the Champions League. The FA Cup campaign begins at the start of January, too, and every player will be needed.
As is the case with every year, the transfer window rumour mill has been in full swing in between windows. Here is a list of every player who has been linked with a move to Villa Park in the last few weeks and months.
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Romano Schmid
Aston Villa have been credited with an interest in Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid, who reportedly wants to leave the club by next summer at the latest. Villa could be active in the January transfer window, PSR boundaries permitting, and links have emerged involving Schmid, who is an Austrian international.
Attacking midfielder Schmid has a contract with Werder until the summer of 2026 and it's claimed he is eager to leave, indicating that no new deal will be agreed and, provided Bremen wish to ensure they don't lose him for nothing, they'll have to consider offers in the next couple of transfer windows.
Sky Sport Germany report that Villa have sent scouts to Bremen to watch Schmid in action, before the transfer window and in order to weigh up whether or not to pursue a deal. The 24-year-old has scored once and provided two assists over the course of 13 appearances so far this season, while he also scored in the November international break for Austria in their Nations League draw with Slovenia.
Arda Guler
Aston Villa are being linked with a January loan move for a Real Madrid starlet - but face tough competition to seal a deal for the 19-year-old.
According to the website CaughtOffside, Madrid are understood to be ready to allow Arda Guler to go out on loan - “ with a number of top clubs on alert”. Amongst them are said to be Villa, but Arsenal, AC Milan and Juventus are also said to be keen.
The report adds: “Guler previously looked untouchable for Real Madrid as they pushed to keep the player and integrate him into Carlo Ancelotti’s first-team squad on a more regular basis.
Joel Ordonez
Aston Villa have ‘set their sights’ on young centre back Joel Ordonez according to a report.
Website TBR Football claim both Villa and Newcastle United are keen on the 20-year-old who is currently playing for Club Brugge. Indeed the Ecuador international recently played against Villa for the Belgian outfit in the 1-0 Champions League victory over Unai Emery’s men.
Indeed Ordonez has played every minute of his team’s four European games, which also includes a single-goal victory over Sturm Graz which leaves them in 22nd place in the table. He started his career in his homeland with Independiente del Valle and moved to Belgium in 2023 via Club NXT.
Diego Llorente
Aston Villa have been linked with defender Diego Llorente ahead of the opening of the January transfer window. Llorente, previously of Leeds United, only signed for La Liga side Real Betis in the summer having finally departed Elland Road on a permanent basis.
The Spaniard, who has 10 caps for his country, is a Real Madrid academy product but he left the Spanish capital in order to secure regular football in 2017, which he found at Real Sociedad. Llorente's displays prompted Leeds to complete his signing upon their return to the Premier League in 2020 for around £18m.
Llorente played regularly in his second season in England but moved to Roma on loan in 2023 and remained there until this past summer. From there, he completed a return to Spain with Betis, where he has played regularly and impressed since.
Omar El Hilali
Aston Villa are one of three Premier League clubs ‘following the footsteps’ of Espanyol’s Omar El Hilali.
That’s according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo who say Villa, Brighton and Manchester City are all tracking the progress of the 21-year-old.
The right back, who can also play centre-half, has started every on of Espanyol’s La Liga matches so far this term, and while the Catalan outfit are third bottom of the table, the 21-year-old has emerged with credit.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the January transfer window. Dewsbury-Hall only moved to Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer, having inspired the Foxes' title success under Enzo Maresca and ensuring the club returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Dewsbury-Hall was one of a host of new signings Chelsea made in the summer, a list which includes Jadon Sancho, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo and Villa's very own Omari Kellyman. The midfielder, who excelled in the division below last year and delivered a string of performances which prompted Maresca to bring him with the Italian to Stamford Bridge, has featured painfully little up to now, however.
Dewsbury-Hall has played just 43 minutes of Premier League football spanning three appearances this season, and only one of those games - a six-minute run-out at West Ham - has occurred since August. While in the Europa Conference League and the EFL Cup minutes have been afforded more frequently - Dewsbury-Hall scored in a 4-2 win over Gent - he routinely hasn't made the Premier League squad in recent weeks.
Tyler Dibling
Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Southampton talent Tyler Dibling. The teenager broke onto the first-team scene last season under Russell Martin, as the Saints secured an instant return to the Premier League after relegation the previous season. This year, Dibling has been a fixture in the match-day squad.
Despite Southampton's collective struggles - they currently find themselves bottom of the table with only one victory in their first 11 matches and four points adrift of safety - Dibling has impressed in the starting XI and from the bench. He scored in the 1-1 draw with fellow promoted side Ipswich Town earlier this season and has become an England under 19 regular.
It's form which has led to plenty of speculation about Dibling's long-term future, with a number of clubs - including some of the biggest around Europe - linked with moves for the playmaker, who has left Southampton once before already, only to U-turn after initially joining Chelsea. Newcastle have been interested previously, as well as sides in the Bundesliga.
Nathan Zeze
Aston Villa have scouted teenage Nantes defender Nathan Zeze according to reports. Website TBR Football claims Villa are one of several clubs who are tracking the 19-year-old, a long list that includes the likes of Chelsea, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and even Liverpool as they ponder their succession planning for Virgil van Dijk.
They say the Reds and the Blues have watched him live in recent weeks and that Villa have also scouted the 6ft 3ins centre back since August.
Zeze has started six of Nantes’ eight Ligue 1 matches this season – and 20 in all. The left-footed defender has also played for France Under-18s.
Carlos Baleba
Aston Villa have been impressed by the the performances of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. That’s according to TBF Football, who say the Claret & Blues are admirers of the midfielder who is thriving under new Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler.
The Cameroon international joined Brighton from Lille in 2023. After manging only 15 Premier League starts in his first season, he has already put in six in eight games and turned in some commanding performances.
Kofi Shaw
Aston Villa and Leeds United have been credited with an interest in Bristol Rovers wonderkid Kofi Shaw. The 17-year-old midfielder was handed his debut in the Gas first-team last April and has since been included in their League One squads at the beginning of this season. The Sun report that Shaw has caught the eye of clubs higher up the English football pyramid, including Villa, Leeds and Southampton.
Shaw scored in a 3-3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur under 21s in the EFL Trophy and has made appearances against Cardiff City in the EFL Cup and in the league against Barnsley and Peterborough. He started the game against Posh, a 3-2 defeat, and completed an hour of the game.
He's a player highly regarded by the Gas, whose manager Matt Taylor was glowing in his assessment of the teenager following that run-out in the Trophy and whose performance he felt elevated Shaw into first-team contention.
Hayden Hackney
Unai Emery has made no secret of the fact he aims to assemble an Aston Villa squad capable of competing at the highest level for many years, so rumours of the club's latest scouting mission will come as little surprise.
While he has overseen a rapid rise using largely the squad he inherited, the Spaniard understands this will have been for nothing if Villa cannot keep on fighting for Champions League qualification for season after season. As such, 12 of his 19 recruits to date have fallen in the age 23 bracket or under.
Emery is in it for the long run having signed a five-year contract extension last term, and looks to be getting ahead with the groundwork being laid for future additions.
