Aston Villa are set to miss out on one transfer target wanted by Unai Emery.
The summer transfer window has taken many twists and turns at Aston Villa with a lot of action unfolding at Bodymoor Heath.
Unai Emery and Monchi have worked tirelessly at bolstering the squad in preparation for the Champions League, as well as addressing Villa’s PSR concerns.
After welcoming seven new faces to Villa Park ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, it now looks as though Emery is set to miss out on one player he admires.
Conor Gallagher set to join Atletico Madrid after Aston Villa transfer links
At the start of the summer, Villa were in talks to sign Conor Gallagher, who is set to leave Chelsea before deadline day.
As the midfielder nears the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, the Blues deem it necessary to cash in on the academy graduate.
Following the links to Villa, it’s now been reported by Fabrizio Romano that the Englishman has ‘agreed’ a transfer to Atletico Madrid.
Romano claims that a fee of €40m (£34m) is in the pipeline to be finalised as the 24-year-old prepares to embark on a new journey to LaLiga.
It’s a shame for Villa, who were eager to capture the Blues midfielder at the start of the summer, with him being a player who could have solved a lot of issues for Emery.
Unai Emery was eager to sign Gallagher at Villa
On the subject of Emery, it’s understood that the Spaniard is an admirer of Gallagher’s time in the Premier League.
Last week, it was revealed that Villa agreed a deal with Chelsea for Gallagher, but the England international rejected the opportunity to join the manager’s project.
Added to the understanding that Villa were prepared to pay a club-record fee for Gallagher, it’s been suggested that Emery really wanted the midfielder to arrive at B6.
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During Euro 2024, Gallagher was said to be a player Emery ‘really likes’, with there hope that the Chelsea ace would switch sides and remain in the Premier League.
Instead, the 24-year-old appears to have chosen a fresh venture in Spain, where Atletico Madrid are waiting to integrate his profile into their midfield.
For Villa, it will be interesting to see just how well Emery and Monchi have replenished their midfield options this summer as they prepare to start the season without Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara.
