Aston Villa can push to complete blockbuster January swoop for £43m wantaway Premier League starlet

The new season really isn’t going to plan for Aston Villa. Two draws and three defeats make for awful reading for a team meant to be competing at the top end of the Premier League table, and it gets worse still when you consider the Villans are already out of the Carabao Cup.

Unai Emery was certainly dealt a poor hand in the summer as he and his recruitment compatriots, Monchi and Damian Vidagany, had to work around a host of financial restrictions. But even still, the squad should be capable of far more than it has produced so far and there are concerns this torrid form could continue for a while longer yet.

If Villa are still in the lurch come Christmas, some serious thought will need to go into the January transfer window. Free spending won’t be possible once again as a close eye needs to be kept on the margins ahead of June’s profit and sustainability (PSR) deadline, but most would argue that new additions are likely to become essential.

Change in Aston Villa recruitment ahead of January

There are big chances happening high up at Villa ahead of the next transfer window as the president of football operations, Monchi, is standing down with immediate effect. The 57-year-old, a close ally of Emery throughout the years, is set to return to Spain to take on a much-reduced role. It looks as if former Real Sociedad chief Roberto Olabe will be Monchi’s successor.

Olabe’s first transfer window looks set to be a very important one. Villa’s awful form surely won’t continue for too much longer - or at least you’d hope not - and so they will probably move closer to the top half by the time winter rolls in. But, after five games, it looks and feels like a huge uphill battle.

Aston Villa should target £43m wantaway Manchester United starlet

Villa could transform their prospects with a swoop for a Manchester United star. That may sound like a daft sentence considering United themselves are struggling, but midfielder Kobbie Mainoo - briefly linked with Villa in the summer - could be a tremendous, game-changing addition.

Mainoo requested a loan move away from Man Utd in the summer but was turned down the opportunity by manager Ruben Amorim, who insisted the midfielder is needed for the season ahead. The 10-time England international, not involved yet by new Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel, is yet to start in the Premier League this season and could make a fresh request to leave.

Now, Amorim may stand firm again and not allow Mainoo to go, but Villa should at least attempt to test their reprieve. Arguably the biggest problem area for Villa has been the midfield, with a lack of cohesion and creativity leading to the lack of goals being scored. You could see it differently and say it’s more the wide players not getting involved enough, it’s up to interpretation.

In our view, Villa could really do with the energy Mainoo possesses. Boubacar Kamara could continue to play the anchor role and Mainoo could be an effective box-to-box player alongside. Youri Tielemans could then be utilised further forward in the number 10 role, with Morgan Rogers, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott sharing the responsibility of playing on the wings.

That does of course leave no space for John McGinn, but the skipper has been in awful form so far this term. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t play again this season, in fact quite the opposite, but it could do Villa good having a different profile of player to call upon.

Mainoo, valued at £43 million by Transfermarkt, has made 76 senior appearances for Man Utd to date and was integral to England’s success at UEFA EURO 2024. His minutes were reduced last term and his frustration could lead to a fresh attempt to leave. If that happens, Villa should swoop in.

Do you agree with our assessment? Would you like to see Mainoo at Villa Park? Let us know in the comments section.