Aston Villa now want to sign £50m midfield ace Emery knows well in January

Aston Villa could be ready to make a splash in the January transfer market as they look to back up their top-four finish from last season with another strong Premier League campaign under Unai Emery.

Mixed summer transfer window for Aston Villa

It was a tough transfer window for Aston Villa as they battled to comply with the Premier League’s profit & sustainability rules – an issue that forced them to sell Douglas Luiz and also saw them part ways with Moussa Diaby, with the pair fetching close to £100m combined.

However, eight new faces also arrived, with Amadou Onana setting the club back £50m from Everton, while Ian Maatsen also arrived for £37m to bolster Emery’s defence.

The Athletic reported after the window that “among Villa’s chief intentions was to lower the group’s average age” over the summer – something that was undoubtedly achieved, with the average age of new additions just 23.7 years old, well below the squad average of over 26.

Though the likes of Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior have since been sent out on loan, there remains a belief that they will blossom into first-team options for the Villans, while the continued growth of Jhon Duran has made picking between him and Ollie Watkins a far trickier task for Emery.

Now, Villa have been tipped to make a move for another young talent to bolster the squad at Villa Park, and he may be the most exciting arrival yet.

Aston Villa keen on assist machine

That comes as CaughtOffside reports that Aston Villa are once again eyeing up a move to sign versatile attacker Alex Baena, with the former Unai Emery pupil having enjoyed a fantastic start to the season in La Liga.

Still just 23 years old, Baena broke into the Villarreal first team under Emery when the pair worked together in Spain, and he has not looked back since.

Capable of playing on either flank or behind the striker, he has registered six assists in just four La Liga outings this season, and has been dubbed “one of the best midfielders in world football” by Spanish football account La Liga Extra on X.

Also impressive is that his form has been sustained over more than a year, with his tally of 18 league assists since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign (prior to the weekend) higher than anyone else has managed in that time, three more than the impressive Cole Palmer and ahead of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Villa’s own Watkins.

As well as Emery at Villa, Baena has caught the eye of Newcastle, with the two sides both keen on adding him to their ranks.

He won’t come cheap, though; he still has four years left to run on his £32,000-a-week deal with the Yellow Submarine, while his release clause is set at £50m. Should either side want to land him in January, it is unlikely that too much of a discount will be offered on that fee.

However, should both sides come calling, the report adds that “the player is leaning towards working with Emery” due to their previous connection, which could hand the Villans the edge in any race for his signature.