Aston Villa eye opportunity as club consider low January bid for £50m star

Aston Villa chiefs are sensing a transfer opportunity as they look to back manager Unai Emery in the transfer market, with one club ready to consider a low January bid for a star who’d usually cost around £50 million.

Aston Villa face Tottenham in near-certain race for top four

Emery’s fairytale stint in charge of Villa has continued into the 2024/25 campaign, with the Midlands giants appearing near-certainties to be contending for a place in the Premier League‘s top four yet again.

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Villa were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night and Emery gave a honest statement about one of his key players.

They’ve also made an impressive start in Europe, beating German heavyweights Bayern Munich 1-0 on a historic night at Villa Park, whilst also clinching victories against Serie A side Bologna and Switzerland’s Young Boys.

While it is still very early days, with Villa to play their tenth Premier League game of the season against fellow potential European contenders Tottenham, it is pretty safe to say that Emery’s side are favourites to be up there with England’s elite once again.

Villa travel to north London on Sunday for a tough test at Spurs, who are looking to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend. They’ve been very inconsistent this season – winning four, losing four and drawing one – while Emery’s only top-flight defeat so far came at the hands of title-chasing Arsenal back in August.

However, despite their contrasting records, Emery insists that Tottenham are favourites to beat Villa on Sunday.

“Tottenham is playing very well and they deserved more points than they have now,” said Emery ahead of Villa’s trip to Spurs.

“They beat Manchester City at home, playing with lots of players who will play on Sunday. Their style and idea is so, so strong. They have individually brilliant players. They signed Solanke and he is giving them a lot more ways to attack and be stronger than last year.

“They are the favourites in front of us for the season and for the match on Sunday. We are competing and we are really being confident, how we are doing our way. We even lost last year against them. We are trying to use a stronger structure to face them on Sunday. We are very excited and motivated, our fans, myself, the coaches, players and the club how we are increasing our level to be contenders with Tottenham, City, Chelsea and Newcastle. Competing with them to be in the top seven, top six or top five.”

Aston Villa sense opportunity to sign Loic Bade from Sevilla

In the background, transfer chief Monchi and NSWE are looking at ways to improve Emery’s squad with potential new additions.

Some reports claim Villa are prepared to bid for La Liga sensation Christantus Uche in January, while it appears that another Spanish top-flight star has earned admiring glances from Birmingham.

As per a media source from Spain, Sevilla defender Loic Bade is on Monchi’s agenda. The club wish to strengthen their central defensive options and it is believed that Aston Villa see Bade as an “opportunity” to bolster their defence for both now and the seasons ahead.

It is also claimed that, despite his mainstay status at Sevilla, they could sell for a “low” January offer compared to his £50 million release clause.