Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is reportedly still considering three areas in which he would like to strengthen his squad this summer.
Villa have already confirmed the signings of Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres to bolster our midfield and defensive options respectively, while the Athletic have reported that we’ve agreed terms to sign Moussa Diaby in a deal believed to be worth around €40m plus add-ons.
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Those are crucial additions that significantly improve us in important positions, and with Emery expected to continue to mould the squad into his own, further activity is expected both in terms of incomings and outgoings.
According to the Express and Star, the Villa boss is still keen on Rennes winger Jeremy Doku who would arrive in addition to Diaby rather than being considered a possible alternative if the transfer hits a late snag, and that could become more of a priority if Leon Bailey moves on this summer, with the Daily Mail previously suggesting earlier this month that we’re open to listening to offers.
Further, the report adds that Emery also wants to bring in another right-back and goalkeeper, and so time will tell if the pieces fall into place for us to address those areas in the coming weeks.
Bailey, 25, hasn’t hit the heights hoped for since he arrived in 2021, scoring just six goals and providing six assists in 54 appearances for the club.
While Emery continued to persist with him last season, his influence and impact on games didn’t significantly improve nor was he consistent enough, and so it remains to be seen if we’ll try to move him on in order to create space in the squad to bring in Emery’s preferred options instead.
As for the right-back position, Ashley Young’s departure has left a void that perhaps needs to be filled this summer given his important involvement last year to cover for Matty Cash, with competition and depth needed alongside the Polish international, albeit Ezri Konsa could shift across and feature there if needed too.
Additionally, with Viljami Sinisalo moving to Exeter City on a season-long loan deal, there is a need to bring in extra cover behind Emiliano Martinez and Robin Olsen, with Filip Marschall the current option available on our USA pre-season tour.
Emery may well feel as though we need a more experienced and reliable pair of hands in that third-choice slot or possibly even as a replacement for Olsen to push him down the pecking order, and so it will be fascinating to see what further signings we make to best prepare ourselves for what will hopefully be a successful season and beyond.
