The January transfer window may have slammed shut last week, but Unai Emery is now looking at who he could sign to bolster his Aston Villa squad in the summer.
Aston Villa crashed to a bitterly disappointing defeat against Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round last night as Unai Emery was reminded of his side’s struggles defensively.
Villa were torn apart by the resurgent Blues and Emery had no answer to the pressure that was mounted on his goal, leaving it too late to make substitutions.
The two biggest players who he missed last night were Pau Torres – who returned to the bench following his injury – and Ezri Konsa, who discovered he will be out of action for three to four weeks.
In hindsight, Villa may regret not strengthening their defence having only brought in full-backs Lino Sousa and Kosta Nedeljkovic, who were both sent out on loan.
A player they were reportedly chasing to bolster their right-back spot and improve on Matty Cash was Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong.
Aston Villa were interested in Jeremie Frimpong
Villa were believed to hold a genuine interest in the Dutch dynamo, whose £34 million release clause becomes active in the summer transfer window.
For a right wing-back who has produced an eye-watering 17 goal contributions this term, that is a potential bargain price, but Leverkusen will anticipate a long queue of clubs fighting for his signature.
If Villa are to stand any chance of securing a deal for Moussa Diaby’s former teammate, then Champions League is a must, but with the likes of Real Madrid showing an interest, persuading the 23-year-old could still prove to be difficult.
An alternative they are looking at instead of Frimpong is Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries.
Aston Villa to rival Man Utd for Denzel Dumfries
Aston Villa and Man Utd are set to battle it out for the signature of Dumfries in the summer.
That is according to FC Inter News, who report that the Dutchman’s future at the club is up in the air after no discussions were made over his future at the San Siro, despite Inter offering contracts to other players.
The Italian giants are hoping that a bidding war ensues between Villa and United as they aim to bring in as much funds to the club as possible.
Dumfries, who has scored 16 goals and supplied 20 assists in 116 appearances for Inter, would be an incredible addition for Emery and a huge upgrade on Cash.
There aren’t many, if any, full-backs in world football who can beat a man quite like Dumfries, who ranks in the top 1% across Europe’s top five leagues for touches (att pen) and top 14% for assists, as per FBref.
In recent years, since establishing himself as one of the most productive wing-backs on the planet, the 27-year-old has been a ‘joy to watch’, mainly due to how he powers past the opposition and gets into goalscoring positions.
Emery is crying out for some attacking dynamism down the right flank, perhaps an individual who can play in multiple positions and carry a threat going forward. Dumfries certainly ticks those boxes and would be a terrific addition for Villa.
