Aston Villa have been scouring the market for possible right back options in the January 2025 transfer market, as the club looks to upgrade on the flawed Matty Cash, whose lack of attacking quality has hamstrung the wingers, particularly when it comes to getting inside to take on more shtos.
For the most part, Aston Villa have focused their search on LaLiga, which is a familiar market to both Unai Emery and Monchi and contains undervalued players. But problematically, LaLiga doesn’t have much high-end talent at right back that would help a Champions League-level side in the Premier League, particularly when it comes to being able to get forward.
In general, pickings at right back are slim, which is part of the reason why Aston Villa have been sticking with Cash, who is still a better player than a number of alternatives proposed to the Villains on the transfer window.
Perhaps the most interesting and proven name for Villa in the Premier League is Southampton standout Kyle Walker-Peters, who has ben in ongoing negotiations for a new deal with the Saints for months but with no conclusion in sight.
Southampton pressed for a new contract in the summer transfer window but could not reach an agreement, so they decided to walk into the 2024/25 Premier League season with Walker-Peters on an expiring contract, not wanting to lose such an important player.
Walker-Peters has six months left on his deal and can now leave Southampton on a pre-arranged deal for free next summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, Southampton are going to make one last play to sign the 27-year-old to a new contract.
If a deal isn’t reached, which seems to be the most likely scenario, then instead of losing Walker-Peters for free, Southampton could be open to selling the right back to another team for a small fee.
That team could be Aston Villa. So in the coming days, if the Lions get word that Walker-Peters has rejected yet another contract offer from the Saints, they can swoop in and sign a solid, Premier League starter at right back for a minimal fee – even less than what they would have to pay for one of the LaLiga targets.
