Aston Villa are in good nick but Unai Emery is always looking to make signings when possible, adding depth and value to his high-performing side.
Having bypassed the extra Champions League knockout round courtesy of their eighth-place group finish, Villa are in a strong position, also challenging at the top end of the Premier League and awaiting Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round.
Fee
Fee
Donyell Malen (Aston Villa)
£21.5m
Jhon Duran (Al-Nassr)
£71m
Andres Garcia (Levante)
£5.9m
Jaden Philogene (Ipswich)
£20m
Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)
Loan
Diego Carlos (Fenerbahce)
£8.45m
Louie Barry (Hull)
Loan
Emiliano Buendia (Leverkusen)
Loan
Lewis Dobbin (Norwich)
Loan
Joe Gauci (Barnsley)
Loan
Kobei Moore (Fleetwood)
Loan
Kosta Nedeljkovic (RB Leipzig)
Loan
Tommi O’Reilly (MK Dons)
Loan
Sil Swinkels (Bristol Rovers)
Loan
It’s deadline day. Villa Park has seen some thrilling captures already the month, most notably the recently-signed Marcus Rashford, but Emery is keen to shore up at the back following Diego Carlos’ sale.
Aston Villa transfer news
As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are preparing to launch an audacious £50m bid to sign Chelsea’s Axel Disasi before the transfer deadline.
The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell has confirmed that a loan venture for the Frenchman is ‘increasingly unlikely’ but that efforts are being made to strengthen at the rear, with Ezri Konsa currently the only fit option.
Tottenham are also interested in signing Disasi but are struggling to reach an agreement with the player. Villa have met personal terms for several days, but Chelsea are hesitant to sell to a direct UCL rival. Still, there is time yet.
What Axel Disasi would bring to Aston Villa
Disasi, 26, hasn’t always lit the world alight at Chelsea but he’s an accomplished box defender, meaning he excels in the defensive side of the defensive game, aerially adept and combative.
Saying that a defender’s chief strength is defending might seem redundant, but Disasi’s skill set is one of bravery and tenacity.
Of course, that’s not to say that Disasi doesn’t have such strengths in his locker, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, but he’s not cut from the same cloth as Chelsea’s more expansive backliners, and that would suit Emery’s system just fine.
Emery employs a high defensive line and seeks to crowd and suffocate when on the ball, so Disasi’s athleticism and energy will allow him to dovetail into the set-up. However, he is prone to an error and is not the most proficient of passers.
Moreover, the £50m price tag is rather steep. It would be an ambitious gambit heading into the knockout rounds of the Champions League but one that perhaps could be avoided, different options explored, as it might mimic the former deal for Philippe Coutinho.
Matches (starts)
19 (16)
Goals
5
Assists
3
Shots (on target)*
2.3 (0.8)
Pass completion
83%
Key passes*
1.3
Dribbles*
1.1
Tackles + interceptions*
1.3
Total duels (won)*
3.3 (43%)
Coutinho’s time at Villa didn’t quite work out in the end but he enjoyed a flair-filled start to life at the club, leaving Barcelona on a loan deal in January 2022 before signing for a permanent £17m fee the following summer.
The 32-year-old’s athleticism has deserted him, leaving him inert and unable to swim through the roiling waters of Premier League football. He’s on Villa’s books still, though plays in his Brazilian homeland on loan with Vasco da Gama.
He made an impact at the start but fizzed out like a disappointing firework, and the £80k-per-week Disasi could repeat that blunder, taking a significant bite out of the budget and threatening PSR.
With just four Premier League starts to his name under Enzo Maresca, Disasi needs a change of environs, sure. Across his appearances, the titan has won 71% of his aerial duels, as per Sofascore, which does illustrate the idea that Emery would be adding to his mix a defender who knows how to defend.
However, he’s also emerged on top in less than half of his ground battles, countering the idea that he is the box defender that Villa need.
It would provide short-term relief, just as with Coutinho, but this might not be the move for the powers that be to make.
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