Aston Villa are flying high near the top of the Premier League table; however, it appears Unai Emery and the board are also looking ahead to next season.
With a Europa League finish in Villa’s hands, the 2024/25 season will likely be jam-packed regarding fixtures.
Emery will be desperate to strengthen his squad during the summer transfer window, with a central defender potentially on the agenda.
Clement Lenglet could return to Barcelona at the end of the season and was of interest to Napoli during the January window.
Tyrone Mings is recovering from an ACL injury he sustained on the first day of the 2023/24 season.
Considering Villa’s rotten injury luck, looking to land another central defensive option could be an astute business.
Aston Villa linked with Luton Town star
Aston Villa have reportedly shown an interest in Luton Town star Gabriel Osho.
According to Sports Lens, the 25-year-old has caught the eye of a trio of Premier League clubs after an excellent first season in the Premier League.
It’s believed Fulham, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are all among the clubs interested in Osho, who is out of contract in the summer.
The former Rochdale loanee has started 13 games since returning to Rob Edwards’ side after a knee injury earlier in the season.
Luton is understood to be keen to keep Osho, but if the Hatters are relegated, holding onto their star man could be a challenge.
Since returning to the Hatters’ starting XI, the former Reading man has repaid Edwards’ faith in him.
“Gabe’s a really hard worker, really diligent, a brilliant human being, really, really warm, and I’m desperate for him to do well,” Edwards told Luton Today.
“I know he’s going to, I know he’s going to show people he deserves to be at this level.”
He added: “As his performances in the Championship, I think when he was at his best, he looked like a Premier League defender in the making, so soon enough he’ll get the opportunity to show people that.”
Osho’s return from injury was also praised by his former Reading teammate, Tyler Frost.
“Incredible work ethic from the boy to get back,” he wrote via his personal X account.
With Osho performing well for Luton and out of contract in the summer, Aston Villa would undoubtedly be in an excellent place to offer the 25-year-old a lucrative signing-on fee to tempt him to the West Midlands.
And considering Villa’s current injury issues, another central defender could be a priority.
