Aston Villa ‘reignite interest’ in Atletico Madrid ace who missed out on deadline day transfer

Aston Villa have reportedly set their sights on Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia ahead of the January transfer window. The 29-year-old becomes the latest name linked with a move to Villa Park as new manager Unai Emery looks to improve his squad for the remainder of the Premier League season.

Last week, Villa were the subject of speculation for a potential swap move with Barcelona, as the Spanish giants were said to be keen on midfielder Douglas Luiz. Ivory Coast international Franck Kessie was the player rumoured to be heading in the other direction, but for now, that has gone quiet.

Kondogbia, who has been heavily linked with the Villans in the past, is another option that has emerged. It was widely reported that the former Central African Republic international missed out on a deadline day transfer in the summer, while Steven Gerrard was in charge. Emery’s predecessor had scouted Kondogbia, but a move never materialised.

Spanish outlet Fichajes, however, reports Villa are set to reignite their interest in the Atletico star. He is said to be a target for Emery, who has now had a few weeks longer to assess the current crop at Villa Park. Kondogbia has played 11 times in La Liga this term and featured in 39 games across all competitions last campaign.

The Lions could do with some new additions given their disappointing start to the season - as they currently sit in 12th position in the Premier League. Things looked even worse for Villa before Emery took the reins off Gerrard, as they were down just a single point above the relegation zone.

There has been a real resurgence since the four-time Europa League-winning manager came in, with two successive league wins against Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion. There is still plenty more to do, however, and dipping into the transfer market will be important for the club to express trust in the new boss.