Aston Villa now have the chance to sign a “quality” midfielder, with manager Unai Emery keen to sign a replacement for Conor Gallagher.
Villa aim to replace Gallagher after Tottenham takeover
With Tottenham Hotspur ultimately winning the race for Gallagher, manager Stan Collymore has encouraged his former club to continue searching the market for a replacement, although a deal may be difficult given financial concerns.
Collymore said: “Villa’s financial situation makes it difficult to sign him for big money, so he will have no choice but to take out a loan.
“I think the club should look at midfielders from Europe’s top leagues who may not be available at their current clubs. They could join and work until the end of the season with an option to buy.”
Losing Gallagher was a blow, but there are a number of other midfielders on the shortlist, with Emery personally favoring Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos, while AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott has also been named as a potential option.
TEAMtalk reports that Emery is keen to strengthen his midfield this month, with intermediaries currently in contact with Aston Villa regarding the possibility of signing AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Villa have been offered the chance to sign the English player, who is represented by the same agent as Ezri Konsa, but they have also been approached by other Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
The £85,000-a-week midfielder has fallen down the pecking order at San Siro and there is a feeling the Italian club are willing to accept a loan move with an option to buy.
Aston Villa begin contract talks with £125,000-a-week star, personal terms not an issue
There is another update on Villa’s forward signing.
Loftus-Cheek could be a ‘good’ Gallagher replacement
He was hailed as “fantastic” by manager Thomas Tuchel, and his performance as a central midfielder early in the season earned him a call-up to the England national team for the first time in six years, earning him his 11th cap in the 3-0 friendly win over Wales.
The 29-year-old hasn’t featured much since then, appearing more often as a substitute, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a good signing for Villa, as Milan’s ace dominates the air and is a very impressive dribbler.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek key statistics | Average per 90 people (past year) |
aerial won | 2.58 (97th percentile) |
progressive carry | 3.12 (96th percentile) |
successful take-up | 0.91 (80th percentile) |
Former Fulham player Loftus-Cheek has aspects of his game that could be improved and has scored just one goal in Serie A this season, but with 157 Premier League appearances under his belt he has plenty of experience and could be a viable replacement for Gallagher.
