Reliable reporter provides exciting update on Aston Villa’s January plan

After defeating both Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, Aston Villa is enjoying life under manager Unai Emery. They are now sitting in third place in the Premier League, two points behind champions Liverpool. Under Steven Gerrard, the Midlands club went from being a threat to be relegated to a team battling it out to qualify for the Champions League the next season. Their ascent has been astounding lately.

But Emery isn’t the only person deserving of recognition for Villa’s comeback. Given the rumored owners’ intention, Villa Park’s recruitment team, which hasn’t failed in the past few years, might pull off another successful transfer in January.

Aston Villa transfer news

With the addition of players like Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, and Nicolo Zaniolo during the summer transfer window, Aston Villa demonstrated their growth both on and off the field, and they have since realized the benefits of their hiring. The Villans won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to potentially qualify for the Champions League, though, and the January transfer window may help them lock up a spot in the Premier League’s top four.

According to reporter Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, NSWE are now ready to back Emery by funding a big January signing blitz in what is an exciting transfer update. This comes after recent reports suggested Villa wanted to sign two new attackers, and they have now seemingly got the green light from those at the top. Among those could be Oscar Gloukh, who may cost between £40m and £50m next month.

Having proved that they’re not afraid to splash the cash during the summer transfer window,

Villa now reportedly look set to target further additions for Emery’s side pushing for a shock Champions League place come the end of the campaign.

Aston Villa’s January targets

It remains to be seen just who Aston Villa sign during the January window, but reports suggest that Gloukh is joined on their shortlist by Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso and Villarreal winger Alex Baena, making next month all the more interesting. Gloukh seems to be the name mentioned the most regarding a move, with Villa reportedly looking to add the attacking midfielder to their side.

By signing the Red Bull Salzberg midfielder, Emery could be adding goals to his midfield. Gloukh’s stats so far this season highlight how talented he is when it comes to contributing to his side, with six goals and six assists to his name in Austria. His arrival would only hand Watkins a further boost too, which could eliminate the need for Villa to sign an out-and-out striker in January.

As the season goes on and those at Villa Park potentially welcome reinforcements, Emery’s side could go up yet another level. As things stand, they remain on course to compete for a top four finish, but further additions could suddenly strengthen their shock title credentials. Just two points adrift of Liverpool, Villa could find themselves top at Christmas if results go their way – a position only a handful of sides have failed to win the title from in Premier League history.

After failing to win any of their last five matches prior to last weekend, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur earned a much-needed 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, ensuring that the early season feel-good factor has momentarily returned.

Losing record goal scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer hasn’t had such a drastic impact as everyone expected, which is a testament to the Australian’s man management and tactical approach, getting the best out of Heung-min Son in particular.

With James Maddison and Manor Soloman out, and Spurs lacking in attacking options, they are looking to buy a true striker, with the role currently being occupied by the South Korean and at times, Richarlison.

Tottenham transfers latest – Lois Openda

Even though the forward only moved to RB Leipzig in the summer, Lois Openda’s performances have piqued the interest of numerous big clubs, including Spurs according to the Mirror.

The Belgian’s value is thought to be around £75m and the Lilywhites want to make the centre-forward role much more competitive.

Manchester United are also reportedly interested in signing the Leipzig striker who scored a brace at the Etihad in the Champions League last month.

Openda is known for his speed and acceleration, which has been described as “terrifying” by European football writer, Seb Stafford-Bloor. The 23-year-old has exploded on the Bundesliga and European stage in his first season, scoring ten goals in the league in 14 appearances and four in five in the UEFA Champions League.

Based on the Belgium internationals FBref scouting report, it is clear that Openda thrives in front of goal, but not necessarily in build-up or in possession. The table below serves as evidence for this.

As you can see, the ex-Vitesse forward is the definition of a true finisher, with elite box movement that is reminiscent of Kane, who Openda loves and has clearly modelled aspects of his game on.

Indeed, speaking about the former Spurs star, the forward stated: “Harry Kane is one of the best in the world.

He’s better than me. But that’s exactly what drives me – I want to be at his level one day.”

This season, the forward has scored all of his goals from within the penalty area, which might help Tottenham’s captain right now. In fact, Son would have more flexibility to create and find the attacker,

much like how Spurs scored their opening two goals of the game last weekend.

The captain of the Lilywhites would start out on the left instead of in the center position he has played so far this season, but Postecoglou’s strategy is flexible and places positions ahead of players in the position.

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