The January transfer window is fast approaching and Aston Villa are already planning their business, with one key position eyed.
Aston Villa have made an excellent start to the season. Unai Emery’s men are fifth in the Premier League and have won both Champions League matches.
The Villans have been free-flowing in attack, scoring 16 goals across those nine games, while they’ve struggled defensively.
Villa kept their first clean sheet of the Premier League season last time out in a goalless draw against Manchester United, and the other two came in Champions League wins over Young Boys and Bayern Munich.
However, they’re still eyeing improvements to their defence in the next transfer window, with one quality centre-back on their radar.
- READ MORE: Alan Shearer says Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins will be ‘fuming’ and tells him what he should do next
Aston Villa want AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori
Villa failed to add a new central defender to their ranks in the summer after failing to sign Lutsharel Geertruida on transfer deadline day.
It left Emery with just three fit senior options, including Pau Torres, Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa.
Tyrone Mings has since returned to full training after his ACL injury but the Spanish boss is still looking to dip into the market.
That is according to Italian outlet Milan Live, who claim that Villa, West Ham and Fulham are all interested in AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori.
The report suggests that Tomori, formerly of Chelsea, carries a £25 million valuation and would be keen on a return to England.
Tomori has established himself as one of Europe’s top defenders since making the switch to Milan in 2021, accumulating 150 appearances for the Italian giants and winning the Scudetto in 2022.
- READ MORE: Tyrone Mings shares how he truly felt after making first Aston Villa appearance in 14 months
What Fikayo Tomori would bring to Aston Villa
The 5-cap England international would slot superbly into Villa’s defence, offering a quality option to challenge the likes of Pau and Konsa.
Also, with the future of Carlos up in the air, the 26-year-old would be signed as a long-term replacement for the Brazilian and a huge upgrade.
Tomori is a brilliant ball-playing defender, whose excellence at progressing play from the back makes him the ideal modern centre-back, but he’s also great in one-on-one situations.
Possessing incredible pace and a great reading of the game, Ally McCoist once labelled Tomori ‘ridiculous’ for a tackle he made on Miguel Almiron in last season’s Champions League.
“That is a ridiculous tackle incredible,” said Rangers legend McCoist.
“Almiron goes with his left foot as he thinks it’s a tap-in, if he goes with his right foot then it’s a goal. Tremendous tackle.”
Tomori’s pace would allow Emery to deploy his high line without worrying about being caught in behind as the Englishman can match most strikers for speed in world football.
