Managing Aston Villa - Donyell Malen signs as £35m transfers unlocked and several leave
Aston Villa are active in the January transfer window in a bid to strengthen Unai Emery's squad for the second half of the season.
Currently four points off the top four and placed in the the top eight of the Champions League league phase table, Villa will be in a healthy position to attack the remaining four months of the campaign if they can make some strong additions in the coming weeks.
There will also be outgoings in this window as Villa will have to make room in their squad to recruit. On the topic of departures, Lewis Dobbin recently joined Norwich City on loan after being recalled from his spell at West Brom, while former Baggies youth star Louie Barry is back at Bodymoor Heath after Villa ended his second successful stint at Stockport County early.
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While a loan move to a Championship club is likely this month, Emery insisted on Friday that Villa were yet to make a definitive decision on Barry's future after he left Dave Challinor's side as the League One top scorer having bagged 15 times in 23 appearances. However, recent reports claim Derby County are best positioned to take the forward on loan.
"He is really performing very well, last year, this year," Emery said of the 21-year-old. "He did pre-season [with Villa] and we want to introduce him again with us here and to take again another decision with him. But he has potential. We are happy with him. If he can help us, he will do it. But in case, his progression is better to go on loan and to play more and more and get minutes and confidence, playing at a higher level than he played, of course, is the plan with him.
"We are going to decide again with him, but his potential is exploiting and really being fantastic for him, for the club, as our player. And then we are going to decide."
In Emery's press conference last Friday, he also confirmed that he will sanction a loan move for Sil Swinkels this month so the Dutch defender can get experience under his belt. Joe Gauci is also due to depart on loan with a couple of options available to him, including Belgian Pro League side KVC Westerlo.
Kosta Nedeljkovic is another youngster who is expected to head out on loan as Villa have plans to sign a new right-back this month. A few names are under consideration, including Celta Vigo's Oscar Mingueza, who has a release clause of €20m. The 25-year-old is a La Masia graduate and featured in Spain's most recent match against Switzerland back in November.
Capable of playing at full-back, wing-back and centre-back, Mingueza is also said to be of interest to RB Leipzig this month. Reports in Brazil claimed young right-back Wesley is of interest to Villa too. The Flamengo defender was set to join Atalanta in the summer, but a move collapsed.
Lamare Bogarde has been used sparingly by Emery so far this season, but the Villa manager suggested that the 21-year-old will be kept around for depth in defence after being asked about Diego Carlos' future following Pau Torres' foot injury, which will keep him sidelined for two months.
"We need a centre-back like him [Carlos] after Pau Torres’ injury," Emery said. "We now have three [centre-backs]. We are working with Lamare Bogarde, his versatility can help us. We have Sil [Swinkels] in the squad as well, but the idea is to let him go on loan and play. Diego Carlos is necessary."
Villa are also in the market to add a versatile, pacy attacker to Emery's forward options. Jaden Philogene was re-signed from Hull City in the summer following the £50.5m sale of Moussa Diaby, but he is set to leave on loan too this month. Ipswich Town are one of several interested clubs.
Donyell Malen tops Villa's list of targets to add competition for Leon Bailey, who has struggled for form so far this term. The Jamaica international has been dealing with injury niggles since August and scored his first goal of the season in Villa's 2-1 win over Leicester City last time out.
Borussia Dortmund are said to want around £25m for Malen, who is due to enter the final year of his contract in the summer. Reports in Germany claim that the Netherlands international wants to leave this month and Premier League football is a big appeal for him.
Villa's initial bid of £15m plus add-ons was rejected, so if middle ground can be found, and they pursue a deal for Mingueza, Emery's squad will be in a strong place.
Here's how it could look come the end of the January transfer window...
Goalkeepers: Martinez, Olsen, Zych.
Defenders: Cash, Mingueza, Konsa, Carlos, Bogarde, Torres, Mings, Digne, Maatsen.
Midfielders: Kamara, Onana, Tielemans, Barkley, McGinn, Ramsey, Buendia.
Forwards: Bailey, Malen, Rogers, Watkins, Duran.
