Aston Villa could potentially make more signings this summer, but it may well depend on players leaving first, Unai Emery has suggested.
The Villa boss was speaking after our defeat to RB Leipzig in our latest pre-season outing this week, as we face Club America this weekend before returning home to go on and complete our schedule this summer.
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While we’ve been among the most active clubs in the transfer window thus far having made a string of new signings which has been balanced with several exits, it remains to be seen if Emery feels as though he now has as competitive a squad as possible at his disposal.
It could be argued that we are still light in certain areas, namely at centre-half and up front, but ultimately Emery, Monchi and our recruitment team will make the most sensible decisions that will hopefully continue to improve and strengthen the squad where necessary.
Emery wouldn’t be drawn on individual players or potential targets, but he certainly sounded pleased with the reinforcements we’ve added already as he looks to continue to improve players already in the squad, but the Basque coach did hint that we could still be in the market to do business but ultimately it could be dependent on outgoings first.
“We’ve signed some really relevant players for the future, as young players,” he said in his post-match press conference after our defeat to RB Leipzig.”We have in the squad a strong structure we’ve built when we arrived here until today. Of course, we are always being with the possibility if we can add players to improve our squad in different positions. We have to be ready to do it.
“With the players we have now, we can sign one or two players more, it depends if someone is leaving and the idea is with the structure and players we have now, with players we have coming back, I think we’ll be competitive this year. Of course, some players we are following in case we can have the possibility to sign, but I don’t want to speak on specific players.”
With Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins still to join up with the squad after their exploits on international duty earlier this summer, coupled with Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara to come back from injury, there are still numbers to be added to the group as we aim to compete in multiple competitions this year.
However, exits are likely given we’re still stacked at left-back with the likes of Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno under pressure to stay after Ian Maatsen’s arrival, while speculation continues to link Jhon Duran with a departure.
In turn, if Emery still has priority targets in mind who he feels would be a better fit for us than some of our current options and will help raise the level of the group, it’s hoped that Villa can move the required pieces to provide him with what he needs heading into the new campaign.
