John Townley, BirminghamLive’s chief Aston Villa writer, sat down with fans to discuss the hot topics.
Next weekend, Aston Villa will make their third trip to London this season, while Tottenham will host Unai Emery’s side in what promises to be an exciting match.
Both teams have made a strong start to the season, sitting in the top five after 12 games, and could use the January transfer window to strengthen their claims for European football this season. The window will open in less than seven weeks.
Here, Aston Villa reporter John Townley hosts his weekly Villa fans’ forum, where he discusses all of the major talking points with an eye toward the January transfer window. The transcript is available in its entirety below, and you can weigh in on all things Villa and transfers in the comments section.
Picked in 1957: Hello there, John. If Sky Sports’ report today is correct, Jhon Duran will most likely be loaned out. The Columblan has “become a handful” at the club, according to the article. Many fans on this site believed that selling Cameron Archer was a mistake, and that is now more true than ever. We must sign cover for Watkins in January, whether on loan or permanently. With our lack of heading ability, we require a striker with physical presence and height to provide us with that crucial option. Which of the previously rumored names, including Tammy Abraham, do you think we’ll sign?
How are you doing this morning, mate? Duran has performed admirably when called upon this season, in my opinion. He has a lot to learn and must understand his role in the squad, but Emery is as experienced as they come and has previously admitted that putting Duran on the path to becoming one of the best strikers in the world is a challenge for him. I’ve heard nothing about him being loaned out, and I’d be surprised if it happened. He’s still only 19 and living in a foreign country. There’s a lot of talent there, and it’s now up to him to buckle down and keep learning from one of the best coaches in the business.
EMGEE: 2 points, (A) I am looking forward to the Spurs game and hoping we perform well, if that is the case, at that point the media might give us some respect, it is starting to come, but their denial is annoying, your thoughts, and (B) the Douglas Luiz situation with Arsenal, they are trying to get him to ask for a transfer through the media, because that is the only way they MIGHT get him, whatever happened to Tapping up?
Good morning, mate! I hope everything is well with you. I believe Villa’s progress has gone unnoticed. Only after they defeated West Ham on that Sunday afternoon last month did pundits begin to talk about Emery’s work, as it was the only live game! Tottenham have been thrown into the title race, which I find strange given that Villa are a few points behind them and have suffered four major injuries. They don’t have six or seven players out like Spurs, but they do have four players who are likely to start. Also, Emery’s squad lacks the depth of a Tottenham Hotspur or a Chelsea, and Villa are juggling European football.This is Emery’s task for the season. I have no doubt Villa will be in the top seven by February, but how will his players react when the European knockout rounds begin and the pressure mounts?
There is growing interest in Luiz, but Villa wields power in this situation. He’s on a lucrative contract that he signed last year, and he adores the club. Last summer, Arsenal made three bids for him, but he didn’t ask to leave or make a fuss about it. This was also a time when Villa were struggling on the field.
If Arsenal make a huge offer, Villa will of course consider it – after all, football clubs are businesses – but unless huge money is put on the table, Luiz will remain a Villa player for the foreseeable future.
mikecoolruler: Good morning, John. This is my first Q&A in a few weeks. I’ve been extremely busy recently, but it’s good to be back. Douglas Luiz and Ezri Konsa were both called up to Brazil and England this week, and I am sure all readers will join me in congratulating both players! But who do you think will be the next in line for a call up now that most players have played for their national teams? Right, one last question about activity during the January window: do you have any idea who or how many people will come in during that time?Are Villa about to shift into another ‘gear’ in terms of adjusting their target for this season, resulting in a bigger push for a larger squad in preparation for a major push on UCL qualification or, dare I say, the PL title? Before you say anything, I know Unai recently stated, “the team is not yet ready, etc.”
Mike, it’s great to see you back! I was overjoyed to see Konsa and Luiz get called up; I can’t believe it took both players so long – of course, Luiz was a recall after a few years. With the Euros just around the corner, I really hope Konsa gets his chance to shine. Next up is a good question. Diaby will no doubt be desperate to return to the France squad, but he appears to have missed the opportunity to fly to Europe. If Jacob Ramsey had stayed fit, I’m sure he’d forced his way into Southgate’s plans as well.
I don’t expect any major surprises in January because Villa still has to work within FFP constraints. I’d expect a couple of additions to Emery’s squad. I don’t have any specific targets as of yet, and Villa’s recruitment team has only recently returned to normalcy following the departures of Lange, Mackenzie, and Leth. If there is interest in them, a few may leave. Villa have a good squad size in my opinion, but having quality depth is their challenge. This season, Bailey has demonstrated the value of a sub for Villa.
dts31999: Hello, John. Do you know where Tim Ireogbunam fits into Emery’s plans? His injury came at an inopportune time, but he appears to be on his way back. Is Emery fond of him?
Hello, and thank you for your inquiry. Iroegbunam will most likely leave in January, whether on a loan or on a permanent basis with a buy-back. After a successful season at QPR, the midfielder will be in high demand.
Breslin: Hello, John. Where do you expect us to strengthen in January?
Hello there, how are you? Villa are well-stocked in a number of positions, but I’m concerned about what would happen if Kamara got hurt. Dendoncker, in my opinion, has performed poorly when called upon this season. He was excellent in a few performances last season, but has looked sluggish in the first few months of this season. If other players are unavailable, Emery can shuffle the pack and adjust his XI, but Kamara is the only defensive-minded midfielder in the squad he can rely on.
CraigM1981: How are things going, John? I believe the next month will demonstrate how far we have progressed in comparison to the others. Do you think we’ll be able to maintain our 2 point per game average? Looking back at previous seasons, (after 11 games, 22 points) finishes around third. I believe Zaniolo simply requires a goal to help calm him down. Do you think he’ll be a permanent? or do you believe he still needs to show more?
Hello, Craig. Thank you, mate; I hope you’re doing well as well! Villa’s form appears to be sustainable, as the sample size under Emery spans an entire year. He did an outstanding job. When the ECL knockouts begin and the pressure mounts, Villa will be put to the test. I believe Villa will be in the top seven by February, and then it will be a long road to the end of the season. Whatever happens, I’m sure it’ll be a wild ride. I’d still take the Europa League this season if I won the ECL or finished in the top six. UCL would be incredible, but I don’t want to set expectations that will influence how players respond to such lofty goals.
On Zaniolo, I concur, mate. I believe he has been beneficial and effective. Yes, he has been underutilized thus far, but he is making an impact in games. Villa has an option to buy him for €27 million, which could become mandatory if certain conditions are met. Villa will play a lot of games this season, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to shine, even if Ramsey will most likely return to the starting lineup.
AVFCRegan:Good morning, John. Excellent news for Ezri! What is Villa’s current situation with FFP and spending this summer?
Good morning, Regan! Villa’s FFP picture next summer would be determined by a variety of factors, including whether or not they qualify for the Champions League. This would allow them to spend much more of the revenue generated. Any Premier League team that does not receive UCL revenue or is not a traditional ‘top six’ side must operate efficiently and in accordance with FFP. Last summer, Villa had two options. One option was to sell a star player for a large fee in order to allow Emery to recruit players, or to sell academy graduates and include buy-back options.
Morning, Regan! Villa’s FFP picture next summer would be dependant on a number of things, for example if they qualify for the Champions League. That would enable them to spend much more with the revenue that brings. Any team in the Premier League who has not got UCL revenue or isn’t a traditional ‘top six’ side has to operate efficiently and in consideration of FFP. Villa had two options last summer. One was to sell a star player for a considerable fee to allow Emery to recruit players, or it was to sell their academy graduates and insert buy-back options.
Therefore, Villa are not hamstrung like other clubs, but they will have to be clever with how they spend and sell as they continue building a squad capable of challenging the elite
AaronT77: Morning John, first contribution for a while – hope you are still enjoying the role and I really enjoy the podcasts you do! I might go against the grain a little bit but i think we only need maybe one or two players in January as I feel there would be a bigger risk in upsetting the current set up and family feel by bringing in too many players – positions i feel need strengthening or added competition are RB and CF – not because Ollie or Matty are having bad seasons but more to do with if either was injured mid-long term i don’t feel we have replacements to come in and do a consistent job(Duran still young and learning but a lot of promise and would you want to shift Konsa to RB on current form?) – the other question mark will always be the number 2 GK. Next 4-6 weeks will be pivotal in assessing where we really are in terms of race for 4th / 5th place (or higher) and prospects in Europe as could do with that top place finish to avoid play-off round. I’d settle for 8 points from next 4 league games and a top place group finish in ECL.
Morning, Aaron. Top man! Thank you, glad you enjoy the pods, pal. I agree with you. I’m not expecting any major business to be done and I don’t think it is needed. This squad has proven over the last year that they can be a UCL contender. The additions Emery made in the summer have all made strong starts to their career at the club too, even Tielemans who has improved in recent weeks. Adding depth in certain positions will be the plan, as you mention. Having quality in depth is important.
Let’s see if Monchi can work his contacts to get a few bodies in. We saw what an impact one player can make to a squad in January, after Moreno’s arrival. I always like to assess the table after the first 19 games, one everyone has played each other. Villa are better than West Ham and Brighton this season, while Chelsea might have just turned a corner, we’ll see. I put Emery’s side in the top seven come next year, it just depends how they respond to the pressure of sustaining their form while going for silverware in the ECL.
