Unai Emery has been dealt a setback in the midst of his team’s demanding schedule.
Unai Emery, manager of Aston Villa, may have to cancel any plans he had to reintroduce one of his star players due to a fresh development regarding his injury status.
What’s the latest news involving Aston Villa?
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are willing to offer Ollie Watkins a new bumper contract in the West Midlands in order to secure his long-term future, since his current contract expires in the summer of 2025. According to the report, Watkins is content with his life at Aston Villa and his position as a first-team starter, and both parties are hopeful that a deal will be reached to keep the England international at Villa Park.
Nonetheless, FootballTransfers reports that Arsenal director Edu Gaspar has spoken directly with Watkins’ agency about the possibilities of luring the Torquay-born striker to north London.
Chelsea are also thought to be interested in Watkins, who is seeking a new five-year contract at Aston Villa worth more than £150,000 per week. Despite interest from Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues, Watkins, a former Brentford player, would prefer a move to Arsenal, where he grew up.
According to 90min, Aston Villa manager Emery has remarked on the subject but has not revealed much about Watkins’ future, stating: “We are in touch.” His dedication to the club is admirable. Watkins puts up a lot of effort every day. He strives to improve every day. He wants to work and contribute to the team.”
Aston Villa’s next Carabao Cup match is at home against Everton in the third round, and the Villans will be hoping to advance to the next round in a competition in which they may go far this season.
Who has been dealt an injury blow at Aston Villa?
According to The Express & player, Aston Villa player Alex Moreno could be out for another fortnight due to a little delay in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Villans manager Emery recently stated why the Spaniard may be absent for a little longer than expected, saying: “His injury was very hard.” He’s become better, but he’s still not completely comfortable playing. We decided to take a break for a few days, perhaps a week or two. Hopefully, he is close to rejoining the squad.”
Moreno has quickly become a fan favourite at Aston Villa, registering three assists in 19 games across all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.
Former Aston Villa star Alan Hutton described the 30-year-old as “outstanding” in comparison to his positional peers across Europe’s top five divisions in the art of progressive carries, with an average of 3.80 per 90 minutes completed in the last 365 days, putting him in the 94th percentile for this metric, according to FBRef.
In Moreno’s absence, Lucas Digne has performed brilliantly at left-back; but, there is no doubt Emery will want as many choices as possible, and the news that the former Real Betis man may be out for a little longer will come as a disappointment to everyone at Villa Park.
