All the latest Aston Villa transfer news as Unai Emery beats Manchester City to sign new Crvena Zvezda Belgrade.
Aston Villa’s Ollie WatkinsOllie Watkins saw a backup coming
Aston Villa have been relatively quiet during the opening period of the January transfer window as they await deadline day in two weeks’ time.
Unai Emery is set to confirm his first signing of the new year, with Kosta Nedeljkovic heading to England this week for treatment.
The 18-year-old right-back is set to sign a long-term contract with the club.
Nedeljkovic is on loan to Crvena Zvezda for the rest of the season for a fee of £6.5m (including add-ons).
When it comes to transfers, the Villa boss has opened the door for fringe players to leave the club this month.
Calum Chambers and Bertrand Traore are the two most likely to leave as they have played limited roles since Emery took over in 2022.
Villa are known for their smart January signings, as they did with John Duran and Alex Moreno last season.
The total transfer fee for the first-team duo could be in the region of £30m, which could be considered a bargain at the moment, especially in the winter transfer window.
After making an ‘inquiry’ about Borussia Dortmund CEO Giovanni Reina, the club could now review the transfer project in the coming weeks.
The USMNT international currently plays a limited role for the German side and with Jadon Sancho’s return confirmed, his chances of breaking into the first team look even slimmer.
Reina is “certain” to leave the club this month and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Villarreal and Sevilla have also been linked with a move.
Now, the most unlikely transfer is that of Hellas Verona winger Cyril Ngonge, who is set to move to Serie A champions Napoli.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Ngonge Gli has “completed” his medical to join the Azzurri and is close to signing a contract with the club.
Villa have also been linked with Nedeljkovic’s Crvena Zvezda Belgrade team-mate Jovan Mijatovic as they beat Premier League rivals Manchester City to sign the 18-year-old striker.
According to journalist Francesco Guerrieri, Emery’s side are “in discussions” over a move that would cost the player around £5.9m (+£1.7m).BirminghamLive says:
With the current uncertainty surrounding John Duran’s future, it is interesting that Villa have been linked with a striker.
Mijatovic’s arrival could help mitigate Duran’s losses.
Mijatović made 24 first-team appearances in the league for the Serbian champions, scoring nine goals and providing a further three assists.
He is also an intriguing player and would probably like to play the backup role to Ollie Watkins.
