Aston Villa have been in the market for right back help for quite some time now, as Matty Cash hasn’t been cutting it when comparing him to other starting right backs in the top seven of the Premier League.
After securing a top-four finish last season and Champions League football, Aston Villa have found themselves in a much more difficult fight to secure UCL action next season.
So Unai Emery and Monchi will have to make a couple of splashes this winter, too, in order to remain proactive and make sure they give themselves the best chance of success in the second half of the campaign.
According to a report from Spanish footballing insider Matteo Moretto of Relevo, Aston Villa are showing interest in two of the best right backs in LaLiga, Juan Foyth of Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu.
Foyth was once the best defensive right back in LaLiga under Emery’s leadership at Villarreal and actually made a name for himself as the one guy who could regularly shut down the explosive Vinicius Junior.
But Foyth has faded in importance at Villarreal. He hasn’t started a single game this season and has made just two bench appearances, with even a move to Boca Junior apparently on the table.
Needless to say, Foyth would be an easy signing for Aston Villa to make and someone Emery could be interested in resurrecting, given the success they had together.
Ratiu is even more intriguing. He has been excellent for Rayo Vallecano this season, making a name for himself this past summer with Romania at the European Championships.
The 26-year-old is averaging 1.9 dribbles completed and nearly 3 combined tackles and interceptions per game for Rayo in LaLiga this season, as he has been one of the best right backs in the league.
Aston Villa could do well to sign either player on the cheap, but neither Foyth nor Ratiu are the kinds of massive, top-class upgrades the Lions will be looking for long-term; they are merely stopgaps for the second half of the 2024/25 season.
