Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that he does not expect Aston Villa to land a new midfielder for manager Unai Emery this January.
Whenever a manager arrives at a club, they usually like to make some signings when possible to help shape their squad to their liking. And with the winter market soon to open, Emery could soon have this opportunity.
One man who could be targeted is Barcelona’s Franck Kessie. Indeed, Spanish outlet SPORT has claimed Villa are prepared to offer about £12m for the Ivorian.
However, in an interview with GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that there are probably too many numbers in that part of the field for Emery to go out and add another player.
Indeed, when asked if the Spaniard could be looking to make a midfield signing this winter, the journalist replied: “I don’t think it is, to be honest. I mean, look, there’s always the possibility of any team adding a central midfielder; it’s such a key position, but Villa have got quite a lot of them at their disposal.”
Will Aston Villa make a big signing this January?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Aston Villa…
The likes of Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey, Marvelous Nakamba and Morgan Sanson all provide options in the middle of the park at Villa.
Evidently, they are not exactly short on options in midfield. And while Luiz was linked with a possible move away in the summer, he just signed a new contract, so an exit seems unlikely.
The good news is that this doesn’t necessarily mean Villa won’t make any signings at all, it just means a new midfielder is perhaps unlikely to be part of Emery’s plans in the new year unless someone is sold who plays a similar role.
In more exciting news, however, Emery could use his links at Villarreal to help the Premier League side make a move for winger Yeremi Pino, according to Fabrizio Romano (via Caught Offside).