Aston Villa could be set for a surprise departure in January after one player's agent started work behind-the-scenes on trying to find a new club for his client, as per reports.
Aston Villa news: Watkins exit, injury updates, Bailey contract
According to an transfer update on Ollie Watkins from Spain, Arsenal are believed to have the England international in their sights as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his forward line in the January transfer window.
Nevertheless, any deal involving Watkins departing Villa Park to head to north London would be a difficult one for Arsenal to complete – the report states that the Gunners may need to make a considerable sale to be in a position to pursue the 27-year-old further, after he signed a new contract in the Midlands.
Cited by Birmingham Live, Unai Emery could welcome back Tim Iroegbunam soon enough as an injury update from the outlet details that the youngster came through 60 minutes of the Villans second-string's EFL Trophy loss unscathed.
Robin Olsen meanwhile has missed some of Sweden's training sessions on international duty and wasn't included in their matchday squad for the victory over Moldova last week.
An Aston Villa contract news piece from Football Insider claims that Leon Bailey is set to be offered fresh terms at Villa Park, which would bring some clarity surrounding his future given that his current deal expires in the summer of 2025. Protecting Bailey's value is of paramount importance to Aston Villa and the Jamaica international now looks set to be rewarded for his bright start across the 2023/24 campaign.
Leon Bailey's statistics per season at Aston Villa
2023/24 – Appearances: 11
Goals: 4
Assists: 2
2022/23 – Appearances: 36
Goals: 5
Assists: 4
2021/22 – Appearances: 18
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
All statistics from Transfermarkt
Aston Villa transfer update – Youri Tielemans latest
According to a Youri Tielemans transfer update from Turkey, via Sport Witness, the Belgium international's agent has again been in contact with Galatasaray regarding his client's availability after originally meeting with the Turkish giants in the summer to discuss a potential move.
In the end, Tielemans opted to join Aston Villa from Leicester City on a free transfer; however, his time in the West Midlands has been frustrating, to say the least. He is still yet to start in a Premier League fixture for the Villans; meanwhile, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk is very keen to bring Tielemans to Istanbul and has repeatedly urged his club's hierarchy to sign the midfielder.
In total, the 26-year-old has managed 13 appearances in all competitions for Aston Villa, though has yet to set the heather alight with his level of performance (Tielemans statistics). This is evidenced by the fact that he has achieved a WhoScored average match rating of just 6.10/10 for his displays in the English top-flight, demonstrating that Tielemans has plenty of room for improvement at Villa Park.