Aston Villa: talkSPORT reporter drops pre-deadline day update at Villa Park

Aston Villa could be busy in the final week of the summer transfer window at Villa Park.

Aston Villa could be busy in the final days of the summer transfer window, as talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook suggests areas of the squad that need bolstering at Villa Park.

Unai Emery hopes to add to his Villans side before Friday’s deadline as he prepares to balance Premier League and Europa Conference League football this season.

Aston Villa transfer news – Latest

It’s safe to say there is a feel-good factor around Villa Park at the time of writing. Emery’s appointment last October coincided with an exceptional turnaround in form, rocketing the Villans from relegation candidates to an eventual seventh-place finish in the Premier League, securing a crack at continental football this term.

Villa are all but assured of their place in the Europa Conference League group stage after beating Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian 5-0 in the first leg of their play-off tie at Easter Road. And the one-time European Cup winners haven’t messed about on the recruitment aspect of the transfer window, having welcomed four senior players ready to make an immediate impact on the Spaniard’s starting XI. Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby have all arrived on long-term contracts, whilst Galatasaray winger Nicolo Zaniolo joins on a season-long loan.

Two successive Premier League victories in response to their uncharacteristic 5-1 defeat at Newcastle United on the opening weekend have set the tone for a positive future. However, the club suffered a setback having seemingly failed in their pursuit of Sevilla and Argentina left-back Marcos Acuna. A deal would have allowed Villans star Lucas Digne to move on, though Emery has claimed the Frenchman will now remain at Villa Park.

What has Crook said about Aston Villa?

Crook believes that Villa could do with adding another forward to their squad on top of a left-back, having sold striker Cameron Archer to Sheffield United for £18m.

The talkSPORT reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “I think it’s still an area of interest. I think it has made Lucas Digne step up because he’s flattered to deceive since he joined from Everton for decent money. So, maybe it’s quite a clever game, and they’re thinking, ‘Let’s sign another left-back and see if it provokes a reaction from Digne.’ I still think Villa will be busy in the last few days of the window because their squad still looks a bit light to me. So, not just a left-back, I think they need another forward, having sold Archer.”

What next for Aston Villa this summer?

Whilst Emery will be happy with the options at his disposal, he will hope to see improvements made to the squad before the 11 p.m. transfer window deadline on Friday. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has hinted to GIVEMESPORT that Villa could pull off the unlikely signing of Atletico Madrid and Portugal forward Joao Felix and has suggested it’s a move worth keeping an eye on.

The Villans are next in action when they welcome Hibernian to Villa Park for the second leg of their Europa Conference League play-off on Thursday evening before a challenging trip to Liverpool awaits in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.