January will be a huge month for Aston Villa. Not only do the Midlands club have some vital fixtures in both the Premier League and the Champions League, but they are also seemingly set to strengthen their squad in the winter transfer window.
Indeed, the boost that a new signing may be able to give them could certainly be helpful for the Villans. Unai Emery’s side are currently ninth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-place Nottingham Forest. Villa will be hoping for some early momentum in 2025 to push them up the table.
Already, they have been linked with someone who could add a lot of firepower to their squad, Donyell Malen.
Aston’s Villa chase for Donyell Malen
One of, if not the first transfer offers from a Premier League club this winter comes from Villa, who bid for Borussia Dortmund star Malen earlier this week.
According to the highly reputable David Ornstein, the Dutchman has been subject to a bid of £14.9m, plus add-ons, from the Premier League side.
If the Midlands club were able to bring Malen to Villa Park, it would certainly be an impressive piece of business. He has a strong record for Dortmund, having played 131 times for the German giants, scoring 39 goals and grabbing 20 assists.
Unfortunately, one of the attacker’s best contributions for the former Champions League winners came in a losing cause in that very competition. He scored and assisted both of Dortmund’s goals in a 5-2 defeat away to Real Madrid, initially giving the visitors a shock 2-0 lead in the Santiago Bernabeu.
Should Emery’s side be able to add the versatile attacker to their squad, it would be a return to England for the 25-year-old. Malen previously spent time in Arsenal’s academy but never made a first-team appearance for the Gunners.
A potential addition of Malen might not be the only signing early in the window for Villa. They are also linked with a Premier League star who would actually be returning to the club.
Aston Villa could sign former academy star
The player in question here is Carney Chukwuemeka. According to a report from Football Insider earlier this week, the Villans are ‘very interested’ in resigning the creative midfielder who could cost around £40m from Chelsea. The Blues paid £20m for the Villa academy graduate back in 2022.
At the time of Chukwuemeka’s sale, Emery was not actually Villa manager; Steven Gerrard was in charge back then. He had limited opportunities during his first stint at Villa Park, making just 16 appearances over two seasons, grabbing one assist which came against Norwich City.
Sadly, the young midfielder has not really been given a chance at Stamford Bridge either, despite their investment in his talent. He has played just 32 games in the famous Blue shirt, scoring twice and grabbing an assist.
The 21-year-old could be the dream upgrade on Villans attacker Leon Bailey if he rejoins his former club. The Jamaican has been poor so far this term, failing to find the back of the net and grabbing three assists in 22 games in all competitions.
Indeed, the signing of Chukwuemeka could see Emery have the perfect replacement for the winger. That is clear to see when comparing the stats of the Chelsea man over his career and Villa’s number 31 this season.
It is worth noting that the sample size for this comparison is the same. As per FBref, Chukwuemeka averages 4.3 progressive passes and 0.6 goal-creating actions per game throughout his career. Comparatively, this season Bailey has completed just 2.93 progressive passes and averages 0.43 goal-creating actions each game.
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Chukwuemeka & Bailey key stats compared |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Chukwuemeka (full career) |
Bailey (2024/25) |
|
Full 90s |
10 |
9.2 |
|
Progressive passes |
4.3 |
2.93 |
|
Key passes |
1.4 |
1.41 |
|
Carries into final third |
2.5 |
1.85 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5 |
4.57 |
|
Goal-creating actions |
0.60 |
0.43 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
Villa fans could see a dangerous partnership form between Chukwuemeka and Malen. With the 21-year-old’s ability to create chances, and the Dutchman’s goalscoring talents, they could become a formidable duo.
The Villans already know their academy graduate is a “superstar in the making”, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him. If he rejoins the club, they will be hoping he can get back to his best and uncover all of that potential.
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