Emery told only insane offer can seal Bundesliga steal as Villa look to wreck Arsenal transfer plan
Unai Emery is reportedly considering his next move after being warned a top Aston Villa midfield target will come with a premium price tag in the January window.
The Spaniard was the man trusted by Villa to succeed Steven Gerrard and will want to stamp his mark on the squad. And with funds to spend in the January window, Emery is hoping a successful month can lead to a continued upturn in results.
His impact on the Villa squad has already been felt – and he knows a number of key additions will strengthen their prospects of a top-half finish.
To that end, Emery is being linked with a number of exciting signings across the park to strengthen his options.
Emery is also looking into a number of exciting attacking options too. To that end, links with Villarreal’s £26m-rated Nicolas Jackson continue to do the rounds.
There could also be exits too. Philippe Coutinho has struggled to find any sort of form of consistency this season. Indeed, a recent report suggested a surprise South American move could be on the cards.
Coutinho’s exit could certainly give Emery the freedom to strengthen in midfield. They have been linked with a move for Franck Kessie, amid claims he can leave Barcelona for a cut-price fee.
Competition for the Ivorian, though, is tough and the likes of Tottenham and Napoli are also in the running. With both able to offer Champions League football, Villa are reportedly looking at alternatives.
Villa keen on Djibril Sow swoop
And one name they are reportedly considering is Djibril Sow, the impressive Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder.
The 25-year-old Switzerland star will be out of contract in summer 2024. As such, reports are growing the Bundesliga side may be open to offers for the hughly-rated star.
However, any thoughts Villa may have had of stealing the player on the cheap have quickly been extinguished. That’s after German TV station Sport 1 revealed it would take an ‘insane offer’ for Frankfurt to cash in during the January window.
They report that, after a strong showing at the World Cup, interest is gathering from Premier League clubs for Sow.
Indeed, reports on Monday claimed Arsenal are also among his suitors with Mikel Arteta also considering an approach.
Appreciating his ‘ball security, running strength and passing power’, they report a number of English sides are ‘putting the feelers’ out for him.
But with Villa leading that charge, Sport 1 warns any deal is likely to cost a minimum of £25.8m (€30m).
Emery considering Villa transfer approach
As a result, Emery and Co are considering their next move and whether to follow up with a concrete bid.
However, Frankfurt’s sporting director Markus Krosche has made clear they have no intentions of selling their key players in January.
Firing a warning to suitors of Sow, Evan N’Dicka and Daichi Kamada, Krosche had a barren warning.
“We don’t want to sell any player in the winter,” he said.
Furthermore, Frankfurt still hope to tie Sow to a new deal, with Sport 1 adding they are ‘aiming for a resolution’ in the coming weeks.
But failure to tie him to a new deal could still open the prospect of a summer move away.
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