Aston Villa’s January Transfer DealSheet: Harvey Elliott’s future, incoming Brazilians, loan exits? – The Athletic
Aston Villa are approaching a similar juncture to the one this time last year.
A sluggish start has been recovered and reinvigorated, with Unai Emery leading the quest for Champions League qualification. January is a critical window.
Here, The Athletic breaks down where the club sit as January nears…
The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Sources with knowledge of transfer dealings, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, have been spoken to before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment.
What is the manager’s priority?
Villa’s transfer strategy is flexible once it reaches the top end of Villa’s power structure. Emery has the final say on all signings, and it is commonplace for him to shift between targets and positions if he feels he can modify an existing player’s role.
The club are keen to sign a centre-forward to provide depth and, preferably, develop a young traditional No 9 under Emery’s coaching. It is difficult to sign a striker who is on a long contract and from one of the leading leagues, owing to the higher finances likely to be involved. Villa remain cautious about the leeway they have to bring players in during January.
Villa’s scouts attended the match in Brazil between Cruzeiro and Gremio last month, notably tracking striker Kaio Jorge and winger Alysson. The Athletic previously reported that Villa are closing on the signing of the latter, and are expected to finalise an agreement worth up to €12million (£10.5m; $14m) next month.
Alysson is a pacey right-winger, potentially filling one of Villa’s key areas of weakness. However, the 19-year-old is raw and needs to work on his end product. It is likely that Emery can raise his current floor, but he will assess how he responds in training before deciding whether to retain him or suggest a loan elsewhere.
Alysson is expected to join in January (Pedro H. Tesch/Getty Images)
As for Kaio Jorge, the 23-year-old fits the profile Villa want, but, like other clubs scouting him, there are questions over his price and his previous experience in Europe when playing for Juventus and Frosinone.
A right-back has been an option for several windows, and in 2026, this remains the case. Whether Villa decide to bring their interest forward for January is dependent on what players are available and market conditions.
Who will they be looking to sell?
Although not a sale, a likely high-profile departure is Harvey Elliott. The 22-year-old has endured a miserable period in the Midlands, with Villa, from early on, reluctant to meet the 10-game threshold which would trigger their obligation to buy him from Liverpool.
But Liverpool do not have a recall clause and Villa would have to pay to terminate the loan, so if he is to return to Merseyside, it would not necessarily be straightforward. Villa hope a new agreement can be reached with Liverpool.
Villa figures and Emery have affirmed that Elliott’s lack of minutes has been because of competition in the No 10 spot, yet there has been great disappointment and unhappiness on the player’s part in being denied an opportunity to prove himself. The England Under-21 international has impressed staff with his politeness and attitude around the training ground, but the move simply has not worked out as promised.
Elliott is now in a difficult spot as he has already represented those two clubs this season and cannot move on in the winter window to feature for a third, unless it is to a team (such as in the MLS) that do not follow the European calendar of footballing season.
Discussions over Emiliano Martinez’s future will take place in the summer, rather than January. Villa have identified a list of replacements, which was already evident last summer, when The Athletic revealed they had been in talks with then-Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, before he joined Bayer Leverkusen.
There will be talks over Emiliano Martinez in the summer (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
The same applies to Morgan Rogers. His long-term future is dependent on interested suitors being prepared to pay the high fee it will take for Villa to sanction an exit, particularly if they qualify for the Champions League this season.
Brighton & Hove Albion expressed an interest in Lamare Bogarde, but sources close to the club, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have played down the possibility of pursuing the midfielder in January. Emery is a huge admirer of Bogarde’s development over the previous two years and his importance in offering squad depth through playing multiple positions.
Will anyone move out on loan?
Members of last season’s FA Youth Cup-winning side will assess whether they need senior football. George Hemmings, Aidan Borland and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba are highly regarded and have attracted suitors. Hemmings is seen as the club’s leading academy talent and has been increasingly involved in first-team training and matchdays.
Elsewhere, Lino Sousa, Kane Taylor, Luka Lynch, Ben Broggio and Kadan Young have all recently returned to fitness and will seek loans, while Rory Wilson — the prolific goalscorer at youth level — is aiming to experience senior football for the first time with a temporary move in January. Wilson signed a new contract earlier this year and The Athletic revealed this month that it was an initial two-year deal plus a further year, only triggered if he goes on loan. Defender Ashton McWilliams signed his first professional contract in July and could also seek senior football.
Most of the 24 players currently on loan have break clauses in their agreements, which means Villa can recall them and/or send them somewhere else in January. Triston Rowe is currently on loan at FC Annecy, though has interest from the Championship. Meanwhile, decisions on whether to recall forwards Zepiqueno Redmond and Louie Barry from their respective loans at Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United will be discussed.
Louie Barry is on loan at Sheffield United (Zach Forster/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Do they need to sell to buy?
In the previous three seasons, the sales of youngsters and academy graduates has generated £60m, proving integral to Villa’s PSR compliance. The club will consider some young players’ futures if they receive a permanent offer and they are not deemed to be at the required level to impact Emery’s first team. This would register as pure bookable profit, which would provide more spending power.
What is their PSR position?
If Villa achieve Champions League football again, the summer will offer a more positive outlook, especially as club figures accept they cannot keep increasing ticket prices to help grow revenue and aid PSR compliance.
It will offer far lighter relief than missing out last season, with lower revenues earned but still needing to comply with PSR and UEFA Squad Cost Rules (SCR). The Athletic projected earlier this year that their SCR will exceed UEFA’s limit of 70 per cent of total revenue being spent on player wages, and therefore will incur a financial breach.
January looks like a tough market to majorly rejuvenate, especially having suffered post-tax losses of more than £200m over the previous two years. Reducing losses is a requisite.
If they don’t make any signings, will they be able to achieve their goals this season?
Senior figures believe Villa have to keep improving to achieve Champions League football this season. A settled squad has been integral in turning the campaign around, but Emery invariably desires additional firepower to get over the line. He is mindful of avoiding a repeat of his first full campaign at Villa, when his players qualified for the Champions League but blew up physically at the end.
