Aston Villa have 'real belief' they can land ex-Premier League star as massive January transfer plan revealed

Aston Villa are hoping to be active in the January transfer market as they aim to secure a top four place this season for the second time under Unai Emery.

An outstanding run of eleven successive victories in all competitions saw Villa catapult themselves into an unlikely title race, though they are now six points behind leaders Arsenal following defeat at the Emirates on December 30.

The West Midlands outfit are in pole position to finish in the top four and are looking to utilise the winter window effectively in order to reach their goal, just as they have in recent seasons.

Reports broke on Friday afternoon that Villa are considering a mid-season transfer for a former Premier League star who could arrive and make an impact at Villa Park, following on from strong early business including the signing of teenage winger Alysson and a proposed £10 million deal for 16-year-old ‘next Didier Drogba’ Brian Madjo.

Aston Villa linked with Conor Gallagher as busy January continues

According to reports by TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have ‘real belief’ they can secure a January move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher, possibly on a loan-to-buy deal.

Sky Sports reported on Friday afternoon that the Villans were ‘exploring’ a deal for the midfielder, who came through the ranks at Chelsea and made 95 appearances for the Blues before departing for Atletico for £38m in summer 2024. The La Liga outfit are reportedly only willing for him to go out on loan if an obligatory buy option is included in the deal, for close to the fee they paid for him. The future of out-of-favour Harvey Elliott may also have an impact on Villa’s ability to complete a deal.

TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey previously revealed that Atletico were ‘open to letting Gallagher go’ in order to get more gametime, despite Diego Simeone ‘appreciating’ him, and the pair organised a meeting in December to discuss a departure. Villa were previously thought of as a side on the ‘outskirts’ of speculation surrounding Gallagher despite historical interest, but it appears that situation has now changed.

Gallagher to Aston Villa transfer situation revealed

Speaking on a TEAMtalk Facebook live broadcast on Friday evening, Bailey revealed: “This Conor Gallagher situation’s come not out of nowhere. They were always probably one of the teams that were on the outskirts.

“But it doesn’t surprise me because let’s look at what Villa did last January. Their loan signings of Asensio and Rashford were phenomenal, weren’t they? They really made an impact. I was told Villa would do the same. It looks like they might be trying for Gallagher. I think there’s a real chance for this. Villa seem to have a belief that they can get this one done.”

Dean Jones argued that Gallagher’s wages may prove a stumbling block but not enough to derail the deal entirely.

“It doesn’t seem like Aston Villa are in the best place in the world financially so I would just have some scepticism about that but I do think it’s the perfect place for him. It’s like Unai Emery’s rehab centre. He likes to bring players in that have got a point to prove,” he said. “Conor Gallagher hasn’t really sunk yet to the level of a Jadon Sancho or Rashford where he was. Maybe he’s more of a Harvey Elliott but I think he would suit this team better than Harvey Elliott.”

“The Asensio and Rashford deals tell us that they can pay huge wages if they need to,” Bailey added. “Yes, they didn’t take on all of Rashford’s wages, but for those two alone they paid out an awful lot of money in wages.

“They didn’t invest too heavily in the summer. They’re not as bad as they were PSR wise. They do pay a lot on wages but I think they can do this. I think there’s a real belief. I think they’re going to try and do an obligation; I imagine Villa would want top four to be the obligation part. I imagine Atletico will want it to be if he plays a dozen games it becomes permanent. I imagine that’s part of the conversation: what is the obligation going to look like?”