Aston Villa have reportedly held talks with Arnaut Danjuma over a loan move from Villarreal in the January transfer window.
Danjuma, 25, is a player that Villa boss Unai Emery knows well after their spell working together at Villarreal, where the Dutchman has scored 22 goals and provided four assists in 51 appearances.
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Prior to that, he enjoyed an impressive stint at Bournemouth, particularly during their time in the Championship, as he bagged 17 goals and eight assists in 52 outings with the Cherries.
As noted by Sky Sports, Emery has made no secret of his desire to add a winger this month, as he strongly believes that we’re missing a certain profile of player to give him an important option in that department.
The likes of John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have occupied that role on the right side of midfield since Emery’s arrival, and to their credit have done well, but they prefer to naturally drift inside and so Emery perhaps wants a solution that provides out-and-out width.
With that in mind, according to The Sun, it’s suggested that Villa have held talks over a loan move for Danjuma, who travelled to England over the weekend having been given permission by Villarreal to leave the club this month.
However, it’s added that we will face competition for his signature with Bournemouth and Everton both said to be interested in signing him too.
It’s worth noting that the report comes from the original story from the Athletic, and so it’s potentially a lazy link given the history between Danjuma and Emery, and particularly given the latter’s comments about wanting to sign a winger this month.
That said, it’s a move that ultimately makes sense for us if it were to materialise with Danjuma’s ability to play out wide or in a more advanced role to provide competition for Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey, and so it will be interesting to see if the touted talks lead to a deal being agreed between the two clubs to give us an important option in that area of the squad.
Emery has already seen his first Villa signing arrive this month after Alex Moreno’s move from Real Betis, and after the Spaniard made a positive impression on his debut against Leeds Utd, it’s a fascinating and exciting time to see who else he brings in to bolster his squad as he continues to stamp his mark on the group.