A look at what a potential dream summer transfer window could look like for Aston Villa in preparation for the 2024/25 campaign.
Villa achieved a fantastic campaign last season as Unai Emery took the Premier League by storm in his first full year.
The Villians overcame multiple obstacles to reach the Champions League, for the first time since 1983.
It was a fantastic effort from all of Villa’s first team but now Emery and Monchi have the opportunity to build upon their success.
This summer offers the club another chance to fix many of its long-standing problems and tighten up any loose ends.
Therefore, this article examines what a dream summer window could look like at Villa Park with incomings and departures expected.
Aston Villa sign Ronald Araujo
In an ideal world, Villa would secure the services of Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo during the summer window.
The Birmingham outfit is in dire need of some defensive stability. In the 2023/24 campaign, Villa conceded far too many sloppy goals which eventually saw them exit the Europa Conference League.
Partnered with Pau Torres, Araujo would help form a brick wall in Emery’s defence and see the return of consistent clean sheets.
Villa have been linked to Araujo throughout the summer window. However, with Barcelona set to demand nearly £70 million for the defender, it seems unlikely to come to fruition.
Read more: Who is Ronald Araujo? The centre-back attracting Villa’s interest.
Michael Olise to Aston Villa transfer
Another creative spark would help guarantee European qualification again next season. The club have many outstanding players such as Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia who fill this role, however, Michael Olise would be the step up.
The Crystal Palace midfielder was sensational in 2024, with his skill and trickery proving to be little match for any Premier League defender.
In the final game of the 2023/24 season, Olise helped the London club batter Villa 5-0 where he picked up an assist.
Like Araujo, Olise has also been linked to Villa, but they face competition from both Man United and Arsenal.
Transfer exits
One big issue Villa has at the moment is dead weight. Due to how quickly the club have progressed in recent seasons, there are still plenty of players on the books who are nowhere near the level of the first team.
This summer, Emery must part ways with these outcasts to free up potential funds and wages.
Philippe Coutinho, Kortney Hause, Calum Chambers and Leander Dendoncker should all be on their way out.
Thankfully, progress has already been made on this front with Morgan Sanson moving permanently to Nice in May.
Aston Villa sign a new full-back
Another position that is in dire need of reinforcements is the full-back area. Like much of the defence, many of the players were inconsistent at times which will be punished in the Champions League.
Matty Cash in particular was subject to criticism from fans after many poor displays. In order to rectify this issue, a full-back should be looked at.
Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal could be a wise buy. Another option could be Denzel Dumfries who has been linked to Villa this summer.
A new competitor for Ollie Watkins
The attack is arguably Villa’s strongest point in the team. Ollie Watkins was outstanding in the 2023/24 campaign and was a contender for the Premier League Player of the Season.
However, one possible concern is if the England international picks up an injury. Star players falling to the sidelines has been a massive issue for Villa throughout the past year. Tyrone Mings and Buendia had to miss pretty much the entire season.
If something similar was to happen to Watkins it could derail their upcoming campaign. While Jhon Duran is a good option, a more experienced striker could prove to be priceless to Villa, especially with the extra Champions League games.
Lille striker Jonathan David has already been linked to Villa this window and he could be a good option.
Alternatively, Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta could be available for around £26 million which would undoubtedly be a fantastic buy.
