The summer transfer window slams shut on Friday and Aston Villa are braced for an exciting 24 hours.
Unai Emery has plenty of work to do before Deadline Day, with movement both in and out of the club anticipated.
So far, Aston Villa have welcomed seven new signings, including a £50 million deal for midfielder Amadou Onana while key players Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby have also left.
Most of their business was done towards the start of the summer, and although rumours have continued to circulate Villa Park, Emery still needs to add the finishing pieces to his transfer jigsaw.
As time ticks on, excitement is building at Aston Villa, with several deals expected to unfold in the next day or so.
Where Aston Villa are at in the transfer window
One of the major concerns heading into Deadline Day at Aston Villa is in defence. Aside from capturing Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, it’s an area that hasn’t been addressed, despite conceding 61 goals in the league last season.
Discarding Tyrone Mings, who is currently recovering from his ACL injury, Emery has three senior defenders at the club, including Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Diego Carlos.
Meanwhile, their problems get worse at right-back, as following the injury to Matty Cash, Villa can only call upon 18-year-old Kosta Nedeljkovic.
Signing a versatile defender ahead of the deadline is therefore very important, as leaving the position neglected could be detrimental.
- READ MORE: Four Aston Villa stars could leave before Deadline Day, including forgotten Steven Gerrard signing
What’s the latest on Lutsharel Geertruida to Aston Villa
The main target on Aston Villa’s radar ahead of the final day of business is Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida.
Villa have targeted the 24-year-old for the past few weeks however, they have stepped up their interest in recent days, as they look to sanction a last-minute deal.
Feyenoord value Geertruida at £30 million, and that is proving to be a problem for Monchi, who needs to offload three Villa players to afford the transfer while creating space in Emery’s squad.
Geertruida isn’t the only player who could sign ahead of the deadline. There have been links to Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah, who could be targeted if a deal falls through.
As previously said, signing a defender is a priority and failure to do so, would leave Villa shorthanded in that position, with minimal depth as cover.
If they can get a defender through the door, don’t be surprised to see the Birmingham outfit move for a winger, especially following links to Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling.
- READ MORE: Unai Emery given green light to sign defender he wants at Aston Villa amid Fabrizio Romano update
Potential Aston Villa exits before Deadline Day
Ahead of Deadline Day, Villa are looking to sanction three more exits as Emery aims to fine-tune his squad.
Following Samuel Iling-Junior out of the club could be his former Juventus teammate, with Enzo Barrenechea wanted on loan by Valencia, despite only arriving this summer.
With Emery’s midfield depth looking strong, they can afford to let go of the Argentine, along with Leander Dendoncker.
Spanish side Las Palmas contacted Villa over a loan move for Dendoncker but couldn’t afford his wages, and now it looks as though the Belgian’s preferred destination is Anderlecht.
The Belgian Pro League side now want Dendoncker on a permanent deal, who should see his two-year stay at the club come to an end.
Diego Carlos, meanwhile, is another who could be sold. The Brazilian isn’t guaranteed regular football at Aston Villa and was previously wanted by Fulham, while Crystal Palace are reportedly in the mix to sign him.
Three is the magic number for Villa in terms of exits and achieving that total could see them get a few late additions through the door with time ticking fast ahead of Friday’s deadline.
