Aston Villa are closing in on the first two of what they hope will be many summer signings, with a full agreement reached for Feyenoord striker Zepiqueno Redmond and a deal expected to be struck for Real Betis winger Jesus Rodriguez.
Birmingham World understands Redmond has said yes to Villa and will join up with the club’s under-21 team once his Feyenoord contract expires, officially making him a Villan from July 1 onwards. It’s also understood that talks have reached an advanced stage to sign Rodriguez from Betis, though other clubs are in the race.
Other than players leaving on free contracts, no outgoings have been confirmed just yet but Villa are expected to sanction at least one sale before the PSR deadline on June 30. Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey are among those who may be sacrificed to avoid sanctions from the Premier League.
It won’t be easy for Villa to sign too many players this summer given their financial restrictions but Unai Emery is hopeful he can add quality and depth in most positions. Replacements will be targeted for Martinez and Bailey if they are to leave as expected and a Marcus Rashford alternative will be signed on the left wing.
Villa are also eager to bring in a new central defender, a right-back, a central midfielder, a number 10 and a second striker. It won’t be possible to bring in new faces in all of those positions, however, so the business needs to be shrewd and well considered.
Who could the Villans sign this summer, then? And who could depart Villa Park to raise funds? The speculation has been rife over recent days, weeks and months, so Birmingham World has done the hard yards and sourced every single rumour since March. Without further ado, here’s a full run-through.

33. Ousmane Diomande
Football Insider reported in April that Villa were plotting a move to sign Diomande from Sporting Lisbon. There’s been no movement since, however. | AFP via Getty Images

34. Loic Bade
The Birmingham Mail claims Villa have given up on their pursuit of Bade after two failed attempts to sign him in the winter. This is despite reports in Spain suggesting otherwise. | Getty Images

35. Nicolas Raskin
Voetbal 24 reports talks have been ongoing between Villa and the Rangers midfielder’s entourage. Raskin was one of the Scottish Premiership giants’ best performers last campaign. | Getty Images

36. Atakan Karazor
According to Bild, the Stuttgart midfielder has attracted interest from Villa and Newcastle. Not much else has been speculated on Karazor, though. | AFP via Getty Images
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