Aston Villa transfers: Everything Unai Emery needs to do in the January transfer window

The January transfer window is almost here and Premier League clubs are preparing to hit the sales and strengthen their hands.

Aston Villa won’t be able to bring in every player they need. Their financial restrictions will affect their January buying power and Villa transfers will be limited to top priorities and, most likely, short-term fixes.

Unai Emery is leading a refreshed football department. The manager and director of football operations Damian Vidagany are now working with Roberto Olabe, who succeeded Monchi as president of football operations in September.

On the face of it, Villa aren’t in need of major transfer surgery next month. This is a team with ten consecutive wins and three points off the top of the Premier League. There are weaknesses, though, and they’re bigger than mere imperfections.

The football department will have spent a great deal of time assessing Villa’s priorities and possibilities. Here’s what I think they need to be thinking about as December becomes January.

Goalkeeper

Emiliano Martínez is likelier than not to be Villa’s goalkeeper until the end of the season. He’s also likelier than not to leave in the summer transfer window, in my estimation, and there’s going to be an acute need to sign a new first choice.

For the time being, Villa have Martínez and Marco Bizot, a more than adequate pairing for a team with Premier League targets and Europa League aspirations. They’ll roll with that until May.

Priority level: LOW

Defenders

The days of Villa needing to sign a right-back are behind us for the remainder of the season. Matty Cash‘s performances and the availability of Andrés García in addition to three passable alternatives mean that any move Villa do happen to make on the right will be made with the future in mind.

Left-back is a position in which Villa will soon have to buy simply because of the age of Lucas Digne, but it’s not something I’d expect them to be looking at in this January transfer window.

Similarly, with Victor Lindelöf in place to deputise for Ezri Konsa if required, the right side of Villa’s central defensive pair is unlikely to be deemed an emergency.

For me, the big defensive question mark is whether Emery will look to bring in a centre-back capable of playing in either position but who is primarily left-sided. Villa have two players in that role but we’ve seen already how differently they have to play when Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings are both injured.

Priority level: MEDIUM

Midfielders

Villa’s depth in the midfield double pivot is the envy of many Premier League teams and Emery’s desire to ensure that Amadou Onana can play there alongside Boubacar Kamara has persuaded him to use both Youri Tielemans and John McGinn further upfield.

With those players as the four top choices, Lamare Bogarde emerging as the next best option long-term, Ross Barkley doing well when needed and George Hemmings regularly named in the matchday squad in the past few weeks – not to mention this being the youngest position in the squad – it would be difficult to make an argument for a central midfielder being high on the shopping list in January.

Priority level: LOW

Forwards/Attacking Midfielders

The attacking trio in Villa’s team is a more complicated picture. Starting there at the moment are both Tielemans and McGinn, meaning Morgan Rogers is playing on the left. The England man is a guaranteed starter regardless of how Emery configures that line.

But while Villa have bodies who play in the positions off the striker, what they don’t have is quality in depth.

Emi Buendía is doing a fantastic job and Emery seems happy enough to try and extract something from Jadon Sancho on the left, but the right is a concern with McGinn benefiting from a rest now and again.

Villa’s number one priority, I hope, is to find an agreement that lets Harvey Elliott leave the club and get on with his life. It’s not what I’d do with him but my preferred option is seemingly off the table – I hope he’s able to go.

Nevertheless, that leaves Villa with Evann Guessand and Donyell Malen as the closest to a specialist in the right-wing (ish) position. That’s where you aim for an Elliott replacement, in my opinion.

Priority level: MEDIUM

Striker

Malen can’t do what Ollie Watkins can and Watkins isn’t doing what Watkins does. Not dealing with that possibility in the summer transfer window was an oversight. It needs dealing with now, even if it’s a short-term solution to get Villa to the end of the season.

Priority level: HIGH

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