Aston Villa has been relatively quiet in the opening stages of the January transfer window as we look ahead to the deadline in two weeks.
Unai Emery is set to confirm the first signing of the New Year in the coming days, as Kosta Nedeljkovic is due to fly into the UK this week to undergo his medical. The 18-year-old right-back is set to sign a long-term deal at the club. Nedeljkovic will spend the rest of the season on loan at Crvena Zvezda, with the deal rumoured to be worth around £6.5 million plus add-ons.
In terms of exit, the Villa boss has opened the door for fringe players to pursue moves away from the club this month. Calum Chambers and Bertrand Traore are the two most likely players to leave, having played a limited role since Emery was appointed to the role in 2022.
Villa are known to be shrewd operators in January which was the case last season with the additions of both Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno. The combined fee for the first team duo could rise to around £30 million, which could now be considered a cut-price deal, especially in the winter window.
The club could now look to replicate this transfer blueprint in the coming weeks, after reportedly ‘enquiring’ about want-away Borussia Dortmund ace Giovanni Reyna. The USMNT international has a limited role at the German side currently and with the return of Jadon Sancho now confirmed, first-team opportunities look even slimmer. Reyna is ‘determined’ to leave the club this month, with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Villarreal, and Sevilla also linked with a move.
One transfer which likely won’t materialise now is a deal for Hellas Verona winger Cyril Ngonge, who is edging closer to completing a move to Serie A champions Napoli. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Ngonge has ‘completed’ medical tests to join Gli Azzurri and is set to sign a contract with the club.
Villa is also being linked to Nedeljkovic’s Red Star Belgrade teammate, Jovan Mijatovic, as they look to beat Premier League rivals Manchester City to the signature of the 18-year-old forward. According to journalist Franceso Guerrieri, Emery’s side is ‘negotiating’ for the transfer with a fee in the region of £5.9m (plus £1.7m in add-ons) being quoted for the player.
BirminghamLive says: Villa being linked with a forward is interesting given the uncertainty regarding Jhon Duran’s future at the moment. If Mijatovic were to arrive, it may ease the loss of Duran. Mijatovic has made 24 first-team appearances in the league for the Serbian champions, scoring nine goals and adding a further three assists. He’s another exciting prospect and would likely be happy to play as backup for Ollie Watkins.
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