'Not normal' - Unai Emery makes 'fast' Aston Villa transfer demand as deadline looms
Unai Emery has revealed Aston Villa could bring in three new players before Monday's 11pm deadline, but admits the club's busy final three days in the market is "not normal".
The club have spent around £26m on two new recruits, Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia, while generating nearly £100m following the sales of Jaden Philogene, Diego Carlos and more recently, Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in a deal worth £65m plus add-ons.
It leaves Villa looking to recruit at least one forward and a defender for the second half of the campaign with time running out to complete business. The likes of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, Joao Felix and Matheus Cunha have been considered to reinforce Emery's attack, while Juan Foyth, Axel Disasi and Kevin Danso are options to replace Diego Carlos.
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"Hopefully in two or three days we can join two or three players with us," Emery said on Friday afternoon. "I am going to be very motivated to get collectively here our objective. It is not normal, at the moment, what we are doing in this transfer window. But there are different circumstances we have to accept.
"There are still a few days until we close the transfer window and the club is working and we have to do something fast. I am very happy how the players are responding. We played some matches where players were close to leaving and we were responding and getting the performance we needed. I am proud of them.
"It is going to be difficult joining more players with us in the next days. But we are being a very good team competing in different competitions with the players we have had. I am happy, for example, how Lamare Bogarde is responding and progressing. When we are missing players it is an opportunity for others, like him.
"In case we are keeping the same squad and not adding players I will be confident we can compete in the Premier League and Champions League. But of course we are trying to add better, add more options to play with capacity and skill they can add."
Asked if Villa want to sign a striker to replace Duran, Emery responded: "The club is working, identifying if we can sign a striker to help us. But it is not a priority. We have some players who can play as a striker, not like Watkins but in a different task. Morgan Rogers, for example, played there before.
"Donyell Malen played there before. I don’t want to sign a player unless it is really clear they can help us and improve us in the level we have. It is not easy now, to sign a player like that. We are analysing and identifying players in the attacking third, with the players we can add.
"But always, trying to sign players who improve our skill in the squad. That is the priority we have. To sign a player, maybe a striker or maybe a versatile player but improving on the players we have in the squad. It is not signing for signing."
