Aston Villa transfer state of play - £109m triple pursuit, Joao Felix ‘talks’, Jhon Duran agreement

Aston Villa have enjoyed a busy January transfer window so far with Unai Emery keen to sculpt his squad to his requirements for the rest of the 2024/25 campaign and beyond.

Currently eighth in the Premier League, four points outside the top four and on course to qualify for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Villa are exceeding expectations once again. It seemed impossible to live up to the lofty heights of last term’s fourth-placed finish and heroic march to the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals but Emery is doing all he can to set the bar even higher.

So, what business has been done so far and what can the Villa Park faithful expect before the transfer deadline on February 3? Here’s a full run-through...

Two first-team sales completed, two more exits imminent

Villa have already finalised two permanent exits this window. Jaden Philogene only joined from Championship side Hull City in the summer but he has been let go for a profit with Ipswich Town paying £22 million to secure the winger’s services. Diego Carlos was the other to depart as Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce completed an £8 million swoop.

Philogene, 22, was re-signed by Emery in July after the head coach admitted he’d make a mistake selling him to Hull for just £5 million. The £13.5 million fee to bring him back - thanks to a matching rights clause and a 15% sell-on - was seen as a bargain due to his strong progress last season. It’s a shame it didn’t work out for Philogene during his second spell but at least Villa could bolster their budget.

Carlos, signed from Sevilla in 2022 for £26 million, had been a decent rotation option but he wasn’t near the summit of the defensive pecking order at Villa Park. On high wages and now into his 30s, it made sense for Villa to cash in Carlos while they still could.

Meanwhile, Emiliano Buendia can be considered a Bayer Leverkusen player after the German Bundesliga champions struck an agreement to take the attacking midfielder on loan for the rest of the season. An option-to-buy clause has been included in the deal, worth around €20 million (£16.7m).

Louie Barry has already completed his six-month move to Hull - barring an announcement - after his loan at Stockport County was cut short. The 21-year-old scored 15 goals in 23 League One matches to start the campaign and has attracted interest from a host of Championship clubs. Birmingham World understands Barry will sign a new contract before departing for Hull.

Two done deals worth £29m announced

Emery’s two main priorities for the January window have been addressed way ahead of the deadline. The Spaniard demanded a new versatile attacker and a right-back who could tuck in at centre-half when required – and both were delivered.

Donyell Malen’s arrival from Borussia Dortmund for £23 million was effectively paid for by Philogene’s exit; an excellent piece of business considering the gulf in experience and quality between the two players. Malen cannot appear in the Champions League before the knockout phase but he made his Villa debut off the bench in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

Andres Garcia is the other new face following his £5.9 million arrival from Spanish second-tier club Levante. Garcia, standing at 6ft 2in, is renowned for his excellent speed, agility and dribbling qualities which allow him to thrive both as a right-back and as a right sided midfielder. He will provide much-needed competition for Matty Cash.

Villa progressing with £109m triple swoop

The Villans are hoping to complete further incoming business in the next few days with a new central defender the priority following Carlos’ departure and injuries for Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings.

Out-of-sorts Chelsea man Axel Disasi is the number one target and the player has already spoken to Emery, agreeing personal terms in the process. Villa are keen on a loan deal without an option to buy - and a first bid has been submitted - however it awaits to be seen how the Blues want to proceed.

Disasi, signed from AS Monaco for £38.5 million in 2023, has seen his minutes restricted since the arrival of Enzo Maresca, who has given the 26-year-old just four Premier League starts so far. Pace isn’t Disasi’s strong point but the Frenchman is mightily strong and often dominates in the air.

If a move for Disasi falls through, RC Lens star Kevin Danso is being considered. Wolverhampton Wanderers are in advanced talks to sign Danso and have already seen two bids rejected but Villa could swoop in late to perform a hijack, with Lens seeking £25 million.

Predominantly a centre-back but also capable of filling in at right-back or defensive midfield if required, Danso stands at 6ft 2in. The 26-year-old isn’t the most agile but he’s rapid once he gets up to speed and he wins the majority of his aerial duels. Danso also loves a crunching tackle.

The final and most exciting possible new addition is Joao Felix, also from Chelsea. The Portuguese, who cost £46.3 million to sign from Atletico Madrid in the summer, has played just 363 minutes in the Premier League this season, rarely featuring due to Cole Palmer’s talismanic presence in the same position.

Appearances in other competitions have been a success this term, at least, as Felix has scored four goals in just five UEFA Europa Conference League games and a further two goals in the 5-0 Emirates FA Cup win over Morecambe. He just needs to find his feet in the English top tier and that seems unlikely given Chelsea’s depth.

Villa see this as an opportunity to reignite their interest, claims transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano. The Italian journalist reports Emery has already given the green light for Villa to sign Felix with a post on X (formerly Twitter) stating: “Emery remains clear; if there’s a chance, he wants Joao.”

It’s said to be a complicated situation that all depends on Chelsea as “the formula of the deal is not easy for the final days”, though Villa are seemingly trying their luck with Emery desperate to finally work with Felix. If Disasi joins on loan, a deal for Felix would have to be permanent as Villa cannot sign two players on loan from the same domestic club.

Jhon Duran ‘agrees departure’

Reports from Give Me Sport and Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra as recently as January 28 suggest Duran has already agreed personal terms with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr.

Birmingham World has been told by sources close to the Villa hierarchy that Duran still isn’t for sale this month. A report from The Athletic contradicts this, however, with journalist David Ornstein claiming Villa may let Duran go if a bid in excess of £80 million is received.

Emery’s preference to play just one out-and-out striker in his system - and Ollie Watkins being first-choice - has left Duran frustrated. As a result, Ornstein explains there’s a growing sense at the football club that something has to give, with Duran potentially not as indispensable as first thought.

Another case of mixed interpretation came as West Ham submitted a bid just before the 1-0 defeat at AS Monaco. The Athletic claimed the offer was worth £57 million but Villa sources strongly disputed this, claiming the fee proposed was far less significant. The timing of the speculation circulating also angered Villa.

A separate report from transfer news specialist Fabrizio Romano suggests Arsenal have made contact with Villa for the possible signing of Duran as recently as in the last fortnight. The Gunners are looking to reinforce their attack following Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending injury.

Loans still possible for three more first-team players

Birmingham World understands Villa are looking to loan out three players before the deadline – Joe Gauci, Sil Swinkels and Kosta Nedeljkovic.

Gauci, signed from Melbourne City for around £1.2 million last February, is very much in Emery’s plans for the future but the Australian goalkeeper is likelier to progress with regular football. With Robin Olsen the backup to Emiliano Martinez for at least the rest of this campaign, it makes sense for Gauci to go elsewhere for game time.

Swinkels, an academy product having joined from Vitesse as a 17-year-old in 2020, will also be allowed to depart temporarily if a suitable destination can be sought. The four-time former Netherlands Under-18 international, 21, has only featured once for Villa this season – for 90 minutes in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Wycombe Wanderers.

Finally, Nedeljkovic can exit until June if now that Villa have secured the signing of Garcia at right-back. The six-time Serbia international, 19, has made nine appearances across all competitions this term. Nedeljkovic has shown signs of living up to his £7.5 million price tag but he needs more minutes to progress at the rate desired.