The international spring break is done and quieted, and Aston Villa can now attack the final part of the season as they hunt for silverware and a ticket to next year’s Champions League.
Form has faltered, but the Villa Park side are in a strong position to finish in the top-5, which should be enough to seal a place in Europe’s top competition.
While the current crop have plenty of them, Unai Emery will want to make a few attacking investments this summer, and one of those could be a move to sign Jadon Sancho permanently.
The latest on Sancho’s Aston Villa future
Sancho, 25, has had an impressive career in English football, joining Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund for £71m in 2021. He was regarded as a generational talent, the most exciting and purposeful in football.
But his time with the Red Devils has had little success, and a loan spell with Chelsea last year left something to be desired.
This season, at Aston Villa, the right winger has enjoyed a key role in Emery’s system, scoring just two goals and assisting two more besides.
He is out on loan, and while Emery may be interested in securing his signature permanently after his contract expires at Old Trafford this summer, there may be better options out there, especially given his staggering wages of over £200k a week. Aston Villa currently pay 80% of that salary, and any permanent purchase would have to come with significantly reduced financial terms.
Aston Villa will need to sign a replacement if he leaves, but the Premier League club may find they already have the perfect replacement for Sancho, with Emery signing this year.
Aston Villa have already signed for Sancho
Aston Villa have been on the lookout for up-and-coming talent since Jhon Duran chased his fortune in Saudi Arabia in January 2025, and with the winter signing of Alysson, they could have the perfect new striker to shape the next phase under Emery’s wing.
The Brazilian teenager joined for £10.5m, leaving Gremio after proving himself in his homeland, playing 41 times for the big club.
Alysson is doing well. He is humble and personable, but he is hungry to succeed and prove himself in the Premier League.
Unlike Duran in that regard, the Colombian is a maverick with a flexible nature. His career decisions over the past year speak to an emphasis on financial rewards over sporting achievements.
But he was undoubtedly brilliant for the Villans, bringing punch to Emery’s attacking system.
|
Duran – Aston Villa figures in competition |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Applications (minutes) |
Goals |
|
The Premier League |
55 (1,214′) |
12 |
|
Conference League |
12 (323′) |
3 |
|
The Champions League |
7 (240′) |
3 |
|
EFL Cup |
3 (225′) |
2 |
|
FA Cup |
1 (70′) |
0 |
The hope now is that Alysson can emulate that success – albeit from the right side. The pedestrian Brazilian continues to develop physically, but is praised for his “pace and strength” by his Lions team-mates, who played in a draw.
Said to have a “similar profile” to Leon Bailey by writer John Townley, Alysson may not be a finished product but has the potential to be a star in Emery’s plan, and his emergence could ease fears of Sancho’s possible departure.
A deal is still possible, but Dortmund are hot on the heels of the former prodigy, looking to end his lackluster run in English football.
With Bailey back at the club, perhaps Emery will decide to keep him on the books next year, signing another experienced wideman who can help Alysson and help him develop into the star he has the potential to become.
Villa thought they had that player in Duran, but it didn’t happen. However, Alysson has the character to succeed where the mercurial Colombian failed.
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Aston Villa are hoping to strengthen their midfield this summer.
