£5m Signings from Leicester City and Sheffield United, £95m in Sales – Predicting Aston Villa’s Transfer Window
It has been a bustling week at Aston Villa, with several player movements shaping the club’s dynamics.
The squad recently resumed activities by playing their first pre-season friendly. Despite missing some key players due to the Copa America and EURO 2024, Villa secured a 3-0 victory against Walsall, with Morgan Rogers finding the back of the net.
Notably absent from the team was Moussa Diaby, who is on the verge of transferring to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. To offset Diaby’s impending departure, Villa re-signed Jaden Philogene for £13 million. Philogene has now joined his new teammates and might feature in the upcoming match against FC Spartak Trnava this weekend.
The club’s transfer activity continues, with Amadou Onana set to undergo a medical on Sunday following the acceptance of a £50 million bid. Despite late interest from Manchester United, the 22-year-old has chosen Villa as his next club.
Departures have also marked the week, with Sebastian Revan moving to Wrexham for an undisclosed fee and Finnish goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo joining Celtic for approximately £1 million. More player exits are anticipated as Unai Emery looks to rejuvenate his squad for the forthcoming season.
Transfer windows are notoriously unpredictable, with rapid developments. As a lighthearted diversion, OLBG utilized Football Manager 2024 to forecast the outcome of the transfer window, including signings from both domestic and international clubs. The simulation features a £60 million investment in players from RB Salzburg and Napoli. Here’s a glimpse of potential transfers:
1. IN: Strahinja Pavlović from RB Salzburg – £30 million
Champions League contenders Milan are reportedly keen on the 23-year-old centre-back, who represented Serbia at EURO 2024.
2. IN: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa from Napoli – £30 million
Reports last week suggested that Villa had made an offer for the Cameroon international.
3. IN: Oliver Arblaster from Sheffield United – £5 million
A highly rated player who captained Sheffield United in the Premier League last season, Arblaster would be a valuable addition to meet the homegrown quota.
4. IN: Simon Mignolet from Club Brugge – £2 million
This transfer seems unlikely. Joe Gauci joined Villa in January, and the club also has Robin Olsen in their ranks.
As the transfer window progresses, Villa fans will be keenly watching how these speculations and real deals unfold, hoping for a squad capable of excelling in the upcoming campaign.
