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Hakim Ziyech of ChelseaIt's transfer deadline day, here are all the latest Villa headlines on Tuesday, January 31.
Paris Saint-Germain are making quick progress in their bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech, according to reports.
French newspaper L’Équipe cite a source close to the player and claim discussions with Chelsea are ‘progressing very quickly’ ahead of tomorrow’s transfer deadline.
Aston Villa, Newcastle, Manchester United and Roma have all been linked with a move for the 29-year-old, who looks likely to leave Chelsea before 11pm on January 31.
Chelsea are looking to trim their squad, particularly in attacking areas, after the big-money signings of Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke this month. Getting another player off their wage bill would also help, and that will likely be Ziyech.
Southampton have reportedly had a £3million bid accepted by Lyon for Aston Villa transfer target Moussa Dembele.
Our colleagues at Football Scotland have announced that the former Celtic ace is closing in on a move to the Premier League with Nathan Jones’ Saints having a cut-price bid accepted by the French club.
Dembele, 26, is out of contract in the summer and is available prior to tomorrow’s 11pm deadline. The French ace has struggled for match minutes this season having been knocked down Lyon’s pecking order by club legend Alexandre Lacazette. Dembele was an unused substitute again over the weekend for the third fixture in a row.
Villa, meanwhile, have been credited with strong interest in the ex-Fulham man while reports in France had suggested that Dembele was open to leaving at the end of the season on a free transfer rather than in January.
Ludwig Augustinsson has left Aston Villa, with the Swedish international joining Real Mallorca on loan for the remainder of the season.
Augustinsson, 28, has managed all of five loan appearances this season with his one and only Premier League start coming at Leeds United in October under Steven Gerrard.
Head coach Unai Emery has since signed Alex Moreno for £12million from Real Betis and informed Augustinsson he’s no longer required.
Augustinsson, who could make his Mallorca debut against Real Madrid this weekend, said of his January loan switch: “I am very happy, I really like La Liga. It is one of the best leagues in the world.
“Coming to RCD Mallorca is a good opportunity for me, coming to a great club and a great family. La Liga is very technical, with a very high level. It's a big challenge for me."
The wheels are in motion at Bodymoor Heath as Unai Emery targets one or possibly even two new signings before the transfer deadline. So far this month, Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran have signed for a combined fee of £28million to add to Villa’s options at left-back and in attack.
Danny Ings (£15m, West Ham), Frederic Guilbert (free, Strasbourg), Morgan Sanson (loan, Strasbourg), Jan Bednarek (return, Southampton) and Cameron Archer (loan, Middlesbrough) have all been allowed to leave while Marvelous Nakamba will seal his exits in the coming hours.
Nakamba has interest from Premier League and Championship clubs in what would be a five-month loan deal.
A few more loans are in the pipeline as well involving Villa’s under-21s as Viljami Sinisalo , Seb Revan , Kaine Kesler , Hayden Lindley , Arjan Raikhy and Brad Young all remain hopeful of securing first-team football elsewhere.
To what supporters want to see now and that’s a third signing this month to add to Moreno and Duran. Marseille’s Matteo Guendouzi remains a player Emery wants alongside him at Villa but, unless a club-record offer is tabled, a deal appears unlikely at this stage. The transfer could be ignited in the summer with Villa content with their midfield options at present.
Villa and Watford have reached an impasse over the future of Kortney Hause, who is currently on loan at Vicarage Road.
According to The Athletic, Watford do not plan to include Hause in their 25-man squad for the remainder of the Championship season. The report adds that Villa are aware of the situation after Hause has been sidelined since November with a serious knee problem.
Now, both Villa and Watford are said to have been disputing the best course of action for his recovery.
“There has been a bit of a difference of opinions about his treatment,” Watford boss Slaven Bilic explained, via The Athletic. "He wants surgery. Nobody else was in favour of surgery. And it has been like that for three months.
“I’m gutted for him and for us. He is also gutted about this, don’t get me wrong. He was going to be one of our main men who would help us go back to the Premier League, and I haven’t see him play at all.”
Louie Barry has cut short his season-long loan agreement at MK Dons to join Salford City instead, Aston Villa have announced.
The 19-year-old made 32 appearances in all competitions at Dons, scoring once while assisting three. The League One strugglers sacked Liam Manning in December with Mark Jackson taking over a few weeks later.
Barry, meanwhile, has opted to drop down a division to join promotion-chasing Salford despite interest from as many as five League One clubs.
Barry said of his loan move: “The club’s going in the right direction, they’ve got really good owners backing them and, when I spoke to the gaffer (Neil Wood), he put down the foundations and that’s what I liked.
“I met him a few days ago, and he told me everything that I wanted to hear, with facts as well. He showed me a really good presentation on the history of the club, and what he wants to put into the players and that’s showing on the pitch as well.
“I feel like coming here will improve me as a player, and hopefully help the team get up the divisions."
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