The latter stages of deadline day could throw up surprises at Aston Villa.
Unai Emery can be pleased with the business he’s done so far but there is always room to do more.
Aston Villa officially unveiled Morgan Rogers as their second signing of the winter earlier today while goalkeeper Joe Gauci and left-back Lino Sousa should complete a promising trio of arrivals, with the latter set to join Plymouth Argyle on loan.
While those deals are expected to happen, there are always a few that come out of nowhere.
It’s part and parcel of the deadline day drama as clubs sought to craft any last-minute deals.
The potential surprise that could be thrown up at Villa Park, although highly unlikely, is Wilfred Zaha.
Wilfred Zaha is an Aston Villa target
Villa approached the former Crystal Palace winger earlier in the window as Emery was recognised as a long-term admirer of the Ivorian and has been keen to strengthen his wide options.
Zaha has been in exceptional form for Galatasaray since moving from Palace and has scored 10 goals in all competitions, including two contributions in the Champions League.
Once hailed by Jurgen Klopp as ‘world-class’, Villa know all about the 31-year-old after watching him terrorise defences for close to a decade in the Premier League.
With the player in a rich vein of form and unwilling to embark on a fresh challenge midway through the campaign, it appears a deal in this window is increasingly unlikely, despite their interest.
That is according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, who gave an update on his future to GIVEMESPORT.
He said: “I thought Villa might be busier in this window, to be fair. It was mentioned to me that Wilfried Zaha was on their radar, but I think that would be quite expensive because he is doing quite well in Turkey.”
Zaha pursuit can wait till the summer
Emery is a huge fan of Zaha and expressed his interest in the player during his time at Arsenal, however, it is a deal that can wait until the summer.
Villa are focused on signing a back-up goalkeeper to Emiliano Martinez in Gauci, left-back Sousa and perhaps a striker.
A backup to Ollie Watkins has been spoken about during this transfer window, especially after Jhon Duran sustained an injury.
While Zaha can play as the central figure of the team, it would be seemingly near impossible to prise him away from Turkey at this current stage and the fee would be ridiculously high.
However, if Villa manage to qualify for the Champions League, the prospect of returning to the Premier League could be an enticing one for the Ivory Coast international.
