sport news Unai Emery is desperate to put his mark on Aston Villa this month trends now

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You only need to pick up a newspaper, visit a website or check social media to see how things have changed since Unai Emery took charge at Aston Villa.

In recent transfer windows, the club have taken great delight in announcing signings that only a handful of people had any idea were happening.

Remember Danny Ings in summer 2021, or Diego Carlos 12 months later? Nearly £60million spent and nobody outside Bodymoor Heath – apart from the selling clubs and the players’ families and representatives – had a clue beforehand. It was like a reverse magic trick: now you don’t see it, now you do.

Besides the under-the-radar capture of Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire, who was identified before Emery arrived, this window has been nothing like that. The £12million capture of Alex Moreno was trailed long before the left-back joined from Real Betis. Emery just wants to get the right players in. Whether his interest is made public prior to the deal being done is a secondary matter.

Villa have, at different times, considered Gerard Deulofeu, Matteo Guendouzi, Nico Williams and Luiz Henrique. With Ings joining West Ham earlier in January, do not be surprised if another attacking player arrives before the end of the month.

If the transfer policy this month has looked a little haphazard, that is because Emery is desperate to improve the squad. The Basque coach believes his team have an outside chance of qualifying for European competition this season and is determined to waste no time. Above all, he wants a wide attacker who can play in different positions across the front line.