6 players who could join or leave Aston Villa, including the £18m mistake

Aston Villashape in Premier League it may have been mixed over the last few months, but Unai Emery he will continue to be confident of leading the club to another top four finish.

Progress in the knockout phase Champions League is anything but guaranteed, while the Villa Park team needs to start theirs FA Cup campaign against West Ham this week. Add in the league fixtures, and Emery’s squad will be fully tested over the next few weeks.

As such, the January transfer window could see plenty of comings and goings as the Spaniard looks to improve his squad while delivering some of the dead wood.

Potential arrivals of Aston Villa

Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund)

With only Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins as his two senior centre-forwards, Emery could be in big trouble in the second half of the season if one gets injured.

With this in mind, Borussia Dortmund striker Donyell Malen has emerged as a key target, with Villa even submitting a bid for the player recently.

According to German edition of BILDDortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl is not backing down from their €25-30m (£21-25m) valuation of the former Arsenal academy gem, with Villa reportedly offering €18m (£15m).

The report claims that an improved offer could be made, as the manager wants to lure Malen to Birmingham on a salary of around £7million a year.

Nicolas Kuhn (Celtic)

Another area where Emery seems to want to strengthen is the width, specifically the right flank. Leon Bailey did not repeat the form of last term, managing to record only four goal contributions in all competitions this season.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham Hotspur and Villa are observing the move for Celtic sensation Nicolas Kuhn this winter, who has been in excellent form during the first half of the 2024/25 season.

Indeed, the German has scored 16 goals while he recorded 11 assists for the Parkhead side, who are top of the table and heading for their fourth title in a row.

The report states that Celtic could easily triple the money they paid to sign the winger just over 18 months ago, meaning an offer of over £10m could be enough for Emery to land the player.

Antonio Silva (Benfica)

Before the transfer window even opened, it was reported that Villa they were interested in bringing in centre-back Antonio Silva to bolster their defensive options.

The 21-year-old is a sought-after talent, with Newcastle United also seemingly delighted, while the youngster has reportedly decided to move to Juventus.

Nothing concrete has come from the Serie A side, suggesting that Emery must make his move now or he could regret it later.

It’s no secret that the Spaniard wants to add another defender to his team, especially with Diego Carlos is attracting interestbut only time will tell if Silva is tempted to move to the Midlands.

Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea)

Carney Chukwuemeka moved from Villa to Chelsea in August 2022 for a a whopping £20 millionwhich represented excellent business on the part of the Midlands considering that he had played only 16 times for the senior team.

However, his stay at Stamford Bridge was not as productive as many had hoped. Since moving to west London, the 21-year-old has made 32 appearances for the club in all competitions.

With Enzo Maresca making several signings during the summer transfer window, he has fallen down the pecking order and Villa are clearly wants to re-sign him this month to add depth to their midfield.

One thing that might put Emery off is the price tag. Chukwuemeka is available, but only if a the club earned 40 million pounds in the process.

Considering he may not be an automatic choice in the starting 11, this fee is lavish to say the least, and the manager could go elsewhere for better value unless Chelsea are willing to negotiate.

Aston Villa’s potential departures

Diego Carlos (Fenerbahçe)

When Steven Gerrard signed Diego Carlos in 2022, the Brazilian was expected to become a cornerstone of his side, forming a key partnership with Tyrone Mings at the heart of Villa’s defence.

It was only in his second appearance that he suffered a serious injury that nearly ruled him out of the entire 2022/23 season, before returning to full form and made 38 appearances under Emery in 2023/24.

So far this season Diego Carlos has started just 14 times and it looks like his time in the Midlands could be coming to an end.

Allegedly, Fenerbahce wants to sign a contract with the central defendercontacting Villa regarding a potential move this month.

With Pau Torres injured, Emery could look to bring in another defender before sanctioning any departures, which could put any trip to Turkey on the back burner. But if a decent offer arrives, Villa would be foolish to turn it down.

Jaden Philogene (Everton)

Jaden Philogene could be on his way out of Villa again, just months after rejoining the club.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton have started negotiations sign the young man, who made only 15 performances since returning to Villa, failing to establish himself as a regular in the starting 11 this term.

Romano states that the Toffees are looking to make the move permanent rather than a loan, which could work well for all parties involved, especially with Emery looking to raise some funds for new arrivals.

Nothing was mentioned in terms of potential compensation, but with Villa being paid around £18m to lure him back to Villa Park during the summer window, Everton may need to at least match this fee if they are to sign him.