Aston Villa and NSWE are believed to be taking an interest in an elite club’s £25 million star ahead of the January window as they face an uncertain future in their current surroundings.
Aston Villa enjoy terrific start to season under Emery
Manager Unai Emery has picked up where he left off last season, guiding his Villa side through an absolutely terrific start to the new Premier League campaign.
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Their only loss of the season so far has come at the hands of title hopefuls Arsenal – a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park in late August – but Emery’s men have since gone on an impressive unbeaten run in all competitions.
A historic night in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, where they beat Vincent Kompany’s side 1-0 thanks to a truly stunning effort from striker Jhon Duran, was complemented by top-flight victories over Leicester City, Wolves and Everton, as well as against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup.
Following their recent stalemate with Manchester United, Villa take on Fulham next weekend in the first round of league fixtures post-October internationals – a clash many will be tipping Emery to win.
“I’m very happy with the month we did,” said Emery after Villa’s 0-0 draw with United.
“Today, in the first half we didn’t control the match like we were preparing before. In the second half, we changed some positions on the field and the reaction of the players was better than the first half.
“We controlled better, avoided their transition and avoided some of their attacks getting into our box. They had one good chance in the second half when they hit the crossbar, but I think overall we were better in the second half.
“In the last moments of the game, we were close to scoring a goal with the chances we had with Morgan and Jaden Philogene. I can say that the draw is fair for both teams.
“It’s Manchester United and we are in the top five in the table. We are happy there, but we have to be very demanding and continue building our team to be successful in our objective in the league.”
The Villans are firm contenders for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification again this season, but in the background, director of football Monchi is overseeing the club’s transfer policy.
Amadou Onana
Everton
€59.35m
Ian Maatsen
Chelsea
€44.5m
Cameron Archer
Sheffield United
€16.65m
Jaden Philogene
Hull City
€16m
Samuel Iling-Junior
Juventus
€14m
Lewis Dobbin
Everton
€11.8m
Enzo Barrenechea
Juventus
€8m
Ross Barkley
Luton Town
€5.9m
Reports have claimed that Aston Villa could move to sign another striker in 2025, with Inter star Marcus Thuram a target. However, a defensive option could be acquired as well – and it is believed that Milan defender Fikayo Tomori is on their agenda.
Aston Villa targeting Tomori amid uncertain Milan future
As per Milan Live, the Englishman could be dropped to the bench by Paulo Fonseca, who may well decide to reshuffle his defence.
Questions have surrounded his attitude recently, and the ball is apparently in his court to turn his form around, or a move away in the next transfer window could be “inevitable”.
This is where Emery and co come in. Milan Live states that Aston Villa are in the mix to sign Tomori alongside the likes of West Ham and Fulham, with the Rossoneri valuing him at around €30m (£25m).
The next few months are described as “decisive” in determining the 26-year-old’s future, and it appears Monchi is keeping a very watchful eye on developments at the San Siro.