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Unai Emery could be about to make a huge January transfer mistake that Aston Villa should definitely avoid

Srinivas Sadhanand

Tue 28 January 2025 14:15, UK

Since Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as Aston Villa’s manager, the club have done a terrific job of signing players who suit his system — with Pau Torres and Morgan Rogers coming to mind.

While Emery’s brilliance is a fundamental reason why Aston Villa have been flying since his arrival, it is also down to th🐼eir impr༒essive recruitment.

The fact that Villa are eighth in the Premier League despite playing Champions League football this season emphasises the size of the job Unai Emery has done.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
8	Aston VillaAston Villa	23	10	7	6	34	35	-1	37

The Villains will be hoping that their project continues to soar under the Spaniard, who is undౠoubtedly one of the best managers in the Premier League.

In the ongoing winter transfer window, one player who Unai Emery is particularly keen on signing is Chelsea attacker Joao Felix — according to Fabrizio Romano.

Felix is �💟�viewed as a replacement for Emiliano Buendia, who is set to join♎𝓰 Bayer Leverkusen on a six-month loan deal.

Unai Emery should backtrack from Aston Villa’s Joao Felix pursuit

From Aston Villa’s perspective, it would be best not to even entertain any bid for the Portuguese intꦅernational. Felix has started just nine games in all competitions for Chelsea this campaign, which could mean that it could take ti꧂me for him to get up to speed for starters.

Felix has seven goals this season but four of them have come have come in the Europa Conference League and two against League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup — which emphasises th𝓡at he is yet to deliver against top-quality opposition.

But more pertinently, the question that has surround𒈔ed the 25-year-old throughout his career is where his best position lies. When Felix was on loan at Barcelona from Atletico Madrid last season, he largely played on the left-wing and only really performed occasionally.

The fact that the silky technician’s second league goal for the Spanish giants against Atletico Madrid came nearly thr🍸ee months after he bagged against Real Betis highlights his inconsistency.

E📖ventually, Felix lost his place in tꦬhe side to Raphinha, who has gone on to become a superstar for them.

Similarꦐly, when the highly-rated forward joined Chelsea on loan in 2023, he often played behind the striker and while he was easy on the eye at times, the former Benfica midfielder’s displays largely flattered to deceive.

In 20 starts for the Blues, Felix registered a mer🐼e four goals. During the same season, Felix accumulated just four goals and four assists in 20 appearances for Atletico Madrid꧙ in all competitions.

Aston Villa have a tendenc♏y to often fie▨ld midfielders out wide, whether it is Rogers, Jacob Ramsey or John McGinn.

Particularly Rogers and Ramsey get the nod from Unai Emery as his wing pair and ﷽even they look far more comfortable playing in their natural pos🦂ition, which is as attacking midfielders.

Rogers has earned praise from Thomas Frank for his displays as a number 10 this campaign as he has well and truly come to life. Even Youri Tielemans raved about Rogers’ talent earlier this season.

In the event that Jhon Duran, who Al-Nassr wish to sign leaves Aston Villa this month, Felix will be unable to replace him as well as he is not a traditional number nine. As a result, the million-dollar question is where Unai E💟mery even deploys Felix and if a move is even worth the gamble.

Aston Villa bid for Felix in the summer, whic♑h suggests that Emery has been keen on his signature for a while now🌜.

AC Milan have approached Chelsea to sign Felix as well. Milan intend to pay £29.5 million for Felix in th𝓀e option-to-buy him clause in any potential contജract as they target his services on loan.

Aston Villa targets in the January transfer window

Apart from the Blues star, Villa are also focused on getting other deals done. Unai Emery lauded Andres Garcia, who signed for the club this month.

Axeꦿl Disasi has a🍸greed personal terms with Aston Villa on a potential loan deal.

Aston Villa are in talks to sign Juan Foyth as well, who Unai Emery wor🎐ked with at Villareal.