Aston Villa set to 'hold meeting' over 'sensational' transfer that could see £78m-rated star join in January

Aston Villa picked up a precious three Premier League points on Saturday afternoon, defeating Leicester City 2-1 at Villa Park. A breathtaking passage of play in the second half saw Ross Barkley give his side the lead in the 58th minute, rocketing a half-volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

The Foxes drew level shortly afterwards, as Stephy Mavididi pounced on a rebound with a clinical finish. Leon Bailey ensured his side emerged victorious with fifteen minutes to go, arriving in the six-yard box to crash home a short-range effort.

As things stand, Unai Emery's are side now 8th in the Premier League table, but are just four points away from the Champions League places. Villa will hope last weekend's win will signal an end to a patchy run of form, and will be eyeing up victories against West Ham and Everton in their next two matches.

Away from the action on the field, it could be a busy month for Aston Villa in the transfer market, with the opportunity to sign new players returning following the start of the January window. Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani is one player who looks likely to move before the end of the month, with Aston Villa mooted as potential buyers, along with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Fresh reports from Football Insider have suggested the Villans could have an advantage over Kolo Muani's other potential suitors, claiming a sensational swap deal involving the 26-year-old and Jhon Duran could be on the cards. The story suggests that Villa will hold a meeting with the Ligue 1 giants this week, to discuss the possibility of offering Duran in exchange for Kolo Muani.

How much do PSG want for Muani?

The report doesn't state whether the deal would be a straight swap, or whether a cash sum would also be involved as part of the transfer. Recent stories regarding Kolo Muani's future have suggested the France international could be available for a fee in the region of £50m.

Meanwhile, Duran was linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea last summer, but neither club was able to get a deal over the line. It is understood that Villa value the Colombian striker at over £70m, which raises questions over whether a straight swap deal would be realistic.

While he has struggled for game time this season, Duran has still impressed when given the chance, making a name for himself with a series of stunning long range efforts, and netting a respectable 12 goals in 26 appearances, the majority of which have been scored after coming on as a substitute.

Duran recently hinted at a turbulent relationship with Emery, but insisted he is ‘very grateful’ for his manager and coaching staff, despite the apparent ‘love and hate’ dynamic in training.

Who else could Aston Villa sign in January?

Attacking reinforcements look to be Villa's transfer priority this month. While Emery's squad have a relatively clean bill of health compared to a number of their Premier League rivals, playing across three competitions in the second half of the season will likely see a recruitment drive for fresh options in attack.

Villa are currently in negotiations to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Donyell Malen, who is valued at around £15m. The former Arsenal academy star could prove a bargain signing for Emery, but a deal is yet to be reached with his club. German outlet Bild have suggested that Dortmund are eager for Villa defender Ian Maatsen to be involved in the deal, but Emery is unlikely to be willing to part with the player who only joined the club last summer.

Meanwhile, reports from Brazil last week claimed that Villa had seen bid in the region of £12m knocked back for Flamengo wing-back Wesley. The 21-year-old is a highly regarded talent, and has also captured the interest of Serie A duo AC Milan and Atalanta. BirminghamWorld understands that signing a wing-back is among the club's key priorities in this month's transfer window.