Gossip: The latest Aston Villa transfer rumours

Welcome to our latest Aston Villa transfer roundup. We’re halfway into the Janaury Transfer Window and there have been a lot of moves already. Aston Villa have signed two players, but have yet to action any outgoings.

Transfer rumours are, of course, something we must take with a sizeable pinch of salt. However, if these ones are true, it’d confirm that Aston Villa are embarking on one hell of a rebuild. It’s clear that the club is due for a wage bill cut and a culture change, and from the sounds of things - it could be all coming at once. If there’s reason to believe any one of these rumours, it’d look like Villa are aiming to build a younger core of players while reinforcing their academy depth. I can’t say that I am against that.

So, who is on the vine today?

Macauley Southam-Hales

The Cardiff City graduate is catching the eye of many a Championship club, and according to Football Insider, it is our Aston Villa who are leading the chase for him.

The 22 year old right back who plays for Barry Town in the Welsh Premier League, and is amongst the cream-of-the-crop in Wales. He’d certainly not be the most exciting signing for Aston Villa, but defensive depth is a worry, and will continue to be a worry for Aston Villa when the season concludes.

Romaine Sawyers

According to Alan Nixon, Aston Villa are still keen on midfield battler Romaine Sawyers. The former Dean Smith man was linked with Villa when Smith first took over the Villa, but interest had seemingly cooled off when it appeared that both Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion had stepped up their interest. Amid dubious reports of his sighting at Bodymoor Heath today, it’s fair to say that this one won’t be happening until the end of the transfer window, if at all. It’s clear that Villa are waiting on further news on Jack Grealish’s recovery before making a move for Sawyers.

Harold Moukoudi

Moukoudi was linked with a move to the Villa over the summer, but that failed to materialise and thus the club were left high and dry in terms of defensive depth. However, Villa have kept tabs on Harold ever since.

That might not be of any concern to Moukoudi though, as it appears that Napoli of Serie A are circling. Le Havre’s young defender had to endure his agent appearing on Italian radio to talk about how in-demand his man was - with clubs in England and Spain preparing to bid. When pressed, his agent said that no bid had been made yet. In actual fact, no contact has been made. By anyone.

Rico Henry

Villa are in dire need of a left-back, so why not fill that role with another Dean Smith man in Rico Henry? Dean brought Rico through at Walsall and took him to Brentford (where he’s had a pretty agonising time due to injury), so why not Villa? Well, it’s went a little bit quiet about Henry since this time last week when that one bloke said that he was 100% signing for Villa in time to play against Wigan Athletic...

Apart from patchy social media reports, there’s been nothing but media hear-say on Henry - but it’s a fairly obvious move for Villa to make. It’ll probably happen, but it’s not happening today.

Dimitar Sheytanov

After leaving Bulgaria and his Levski Sofia side in the summer, Sheytanov has been roaming England to display his talents to a number of a clubs in the EFL. Leeds United took him on trial earlier on in the season, but now - Sheytanov looks to have found a permanent home.

The young Bulgarian goalkeeper seems set for a move to Aston Villa - and was pictured earlier with first-team coach John Terry at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training complex. This will likely be Villa’s third signing of the window after Kortney Hause and Lovre Kalinic, just don’t be surprised if this one goes totally under the radar altogether - like most of Aston Villa’s youth transfers.

CJ Hamilton

Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider is back with another exclusive as he names Mansfield’s young winger CJ Hamilton as a transfer target for Aston Villa. A depth-buy, Hamilton has been in decent form for Mansfield in League Two this season and Football Insider state that Villa have been scouting him over the past few weeks. It’d seem that Villa are doing the smart thing and preparing for yet another season in England’s second tier.

Darius Olaru

Reports emerging from Romania suggest that Aston Villa are battling Brentford for another winger in the form of Darius Olaru. Gaz Metan’s young playmaker was courted by Borussia Dortmund previously, and his agent is certainly making some big noises about a move to Aston Villa. We’ll wait and see on this one.

Scott McKenna

Villa were cruelly denied by intangible and irresistible forces in their bid to sign defender Scott McKenna in the summer. According to the Daily Record, their interest in the player hasn’t went away, but it has ever-so-slightly dried up. Aberdeen want £10 million for the centre back, and they want to keep him until the end of the season. This won’t happen this month unless Villa lose every single one of the current centre-backs on their roster and are forced to make the move for a high, high price.

As for the moves that do happen? Stay tuned...