Author: Joe Soriano

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has the makings of being the next great No. 9 in the Premier League, and his breakout has been great news for fans of quality football as a whole, simply because the level of talent at this marquee position has fallen off globally. Duran has scored seven goals in just around 600 Premier League minutes this season, showcasing clinical finishing and an ability to score from any angle or distance when the opportunity strikes. So far, Aston Villa have been managing Duran's minutes as a 21-year-old, and they already have one of the best all-around strikers in the league in Ollie Watkins, who played a pivotal role in firing the Villains to the Champions League. Even as a backup, Duran has turned heads around Europe. After Aston Villa kept him against inter...

Aston Villa have sort of a 1a and 1b situation when it comes to their biggest transfer priority in the January 2025 transfer window. On the one hand, they have been chasing Dortmund winger Donyell Malen the most of any target in order to bolster their attack, but they have also been in need of a new right back for quite some time. Malen isn't the only right winger on their radar either, as Aston Villa could also make a plunge for AC Milan standout Samuel Chukwueze, an overqualified backup who previously shone under Unai Emery at Villarreal. At right back, the field is more wide open, but Emery and Monchi continue to be linked to prominent LaLiga targets, including Rayo Vallecano's Euro 2024 standout Andrei Ratiu, another Villarreal player in Juan Foyth, and Barcelona academy product ...

Aston Villa have pinpointed Donyell Malen as their favored transfer target at the right wing position, likely because he is an explosive athlete with goal-scoring upside who seemed, at the outset, to be a cost-effective option. The Lions have former Bundesliga star Leon Bailey as a decent veteran presence on the wing, but they don't have a whole lot beyond the Jamaican international, leading to their interest in a more direct scoring option who can add dynamism to the side. Aston Villa are pretty close to getting a deal done for Malen, and all the personal terms are agreed. They just need to negotiate with Dortmund on the final transfer fee, which has become a bit of a problem, thanks to the Bundesliga giants. According to a report from Sky Sports Germany's main insider Florian Pl...

Aston Villa brought in Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley as much-needed additions to their center midfield this past summer, but they could use more reinforcements at the position. Barkley actually just suffered an injury in Villa's come-from-behind FA Cup win over West Ham, and with the top-four slipping out of reach, the Lions could use a wise midfield addition in 2025 to bolster their chances in the second half of the season. According to a report from Diario Sport, Aston Villa are registering an interest in FC Porto center midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who has been shining this season in the Portuguese top flight in a deeper role. Gonzalez has a 60 million euro release clause at Porto that would necessitate activating in order for a transfer to occur, especially since Barcelona still ...