Morgan Gibbs-White to hand Unai Emery headache after Aston Villa transfer update
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery could be left with a selection headache if Morgan Gibbs-White moves to Villa Park this summer, according to Alan Hutton.
Reports have suggested the Villans could look to sign the Nottingham Forest star as a deal for the 24-year-old is viewed as a more realistic transfer target than Athletico Bilbao gem Nico Williams [Ben Jacobs, 19 July].
Emery’s side have already been incredibly active in the transfer market this summer, with Ross Barkley, Enzo Barrenechea and Amadou Onana all arriving to bolster the midfield ahead of the new season.
Although Hutton admits Gibbs-White is a “top quality” footballer, he doesn’t think the Vila boss will be able to fit all of his new signings into his starting XI even with Champions League football on the agenda.
“He’s an outstanding footballer,” Hutton exclusively told Villa News.
“He showed that last season where he really put Nottingham Forest on his shoulders at times and drove them forward, created opportunities and scored goals.
“It’s funny, every time I read something about Villa they’re interested in somebody. They’ve already signed quite a lot of players and it just seems like, whether it’s Conor Gallagher or Morgan Gibbs-White there’s always somebody.
“But he’s a really good player, top quality. You’ve got Emi Buendia to come back as well, Villa have got a lot of options so how do you fit them all in?
“I just don’t know what the manager is going to do at this moment in time, in the next few weeks we’ll probably know more.
“Of course, he’s a good player and you need options going into the Champions League.”
Will Morgan Gibbs-White exit Nottingham Forest amid Aston Villa transfer rumours?
Gibbs-White would offer something different in the middle of the park to the rest of Emery’s options as the Englishman is a genuine number 10 who typically plays ahead of defensive midfielders.
But with Buendia available for selection once again, John McGinn impressing in an advanced role last season and the likes of Jaden Philoegene and Samuel Iling-Junior arriving out wide, it’s hard to see where the Forest star fits in.
Maybe Emery would be able to find a way to shoehorn the 24-year-old into his starting XI on a regular basis in a different role, but that would likely limit his ability to impact games.
The Villans could pursue this deal in the second half of the transfer window, but it feels like one or two players may need to depart before any genuine offer is made.
In other Aston Villa news, Leander Dendoncker has been told to quit Villa Park after new summer transfer developments
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