Three big-name stars could leave Aston Villa in January if Unai Emery is to bring in new transfer arrivals

Aston Villa have been the Premier League’s form side in recent weeks, rising up the table to result in unlikely calls for a title challenge as we approach Christmas.

Unai Emery’s side have already beaten both of the current top two at Villa Park, overcoming leaders Arsenal through an Emiliano Buendia goal in the 95th minute on Saturday, and the Villans have shown they have what it takes to beat whoever is up against them when they are in this kind of form.

The question, therefore, arises of how Villa can keep up their current record for the rest of the season. They may not quite have the depth of their challengers and will see that stretched even further to the limit if they hope to go deep into the Europa League, which Emery is somewhat of an expert at winning with former clubs Sevilla and Villarreal.

A possible strategy in order to secure new January recruits has emerged, but it may not be music to the ears of Villa fans ahead of what could be an important transfer window for the club.

Three players could exit Villa Park in January to fund new arrivals

According to reports by Football Insider, Aston Villa may need to offload players in order to bring in new January recruits. Three players could potentially head out of the exit door, with star striker Ollie Watkins linked with a surprise exit for a third successive window.

The report states that Villa would accept a bid of £35million for Watkins if it were to arrive, with the striker turning 30 at the end of this month and scoring just three goals so far this campaign. But to part ways with their all-time top Premier League goalscorer would still be a bitter pill to swallow, particularly amidst a lack of any other senior strikers at the club.

The report states that an alternative could be to send loanees Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho back to their parent clubs. Elliott has not even been in a Villa matchday squad since October and has been linked with a mid-season return to Liverpool, while Sancho has been a frequent substitute option used by Emery without registering a single goal or assist for the club. While they would not get a fee for either player, it is about freeing up the space on the wage bill.

Villa targeting multiple positions ahead of busy January

Villa’s struggles with PSR and the Premier League’s financial rules have been notorious over recent months in particular, as their heavy spending on wages last season in hope of qualifying for the Champions League did not pay off.

This, therefore, means that the Villans must offload players in order to buy, just as was the case over the summer. While they were largely able to avoid selling star names then, they may have a similar battle on their hands in January.

A new striker to complement or replace Watkins has been touted, with Brentford’s Igor Thiago linked in addition to Chelsea’s Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson, while further central defensive cover could be key if Ezri Konsa or Pau Torres were to join Tyrone Mings on the injury table.

With just over three weeks until the window opens, Villa will no doubt be preparing a transfer plan to give Emery’s side the best possible chance of dragging forward a stunning title challenge to the latter months of the season.