Aston Villa now setting sights on move to sign “smart” star

As they aim to repeat January’s transfer success when the summer window swings open, Aston Villa have reportedly set their sights on signing an attacking addition that Unai Emery is a fan of.

Emery could finally get his man

To say that the Villans endured a hectic winter window would be an understatement. After Jhon Duran sealed a big-money move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, those in the Midlands welcomed the likes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan, having already signed Donyell Malen on a permanent basis. And they’ve reaped the rewards ever since.

Emery’s side have particularly thrived in the Champions League, securing an unexpected place in the last eight where they will square off against Paris Saint-Germain in a mouth-watering tie. It’s then that Villa will be looking to cause their greatest upset yet against a side Emery knows all too well from his time in charge of the French giants many moons ago.

Even after such a successful January window, however, those in the Midlands are reportedly not done there. According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are now plotting a summer move to sign Joao Felix from Chelsea following the forward’s mixed loan spell at Milan.

Having been interested in his signature in January but ultimately failing to pursue a deal for the Chelsea man, Villa could now finally get their man when the summer arrives. Given that Emery is a fan of the former Atletico Madrid star too, Felix may rediscover his best form at long last by completing a move to Villa Park.

“Smart” Felix needs next move to work

Now 25 years old, many believed that Felix would be a world-beater by this stage of his career, but from Atletico Madrid frustration to Barcelona struggles and a lack of minutes at Chelsea, things just have not followed the predicted path for the Portuguese forward. Having endured further inconsistency at Milan too, he needs his next move to work.

That’s where Emery and Villa could come in. The Midlands club have already overseen the revival of Asensio, who is thriving in the Midlands, and could yet help Felix to rediscover a similar vein of form. Given that he is also under the same agency as Asensio, Villa could find negotiations far simpler to agree than previously.

Despite a difficult time at Chelsea, Felix still earned some impressive praise from the likes of Benoit Badiashile

, who dubbed his teammate a “smart player” back in November.

However, whether it’s Aston Villa who will finally benefit from that intelligence remains to be seen. At something of a crossroads, Felix’s next move may well prove to be the most important decision of his career yet, especially if Emery comes calling.