‘Unai Emery to re-visit defender transfer at Aston Villa as agent green lights exit’
Aston Villa will be back at the drawing board when it comes to transfer targets after missing out on the Champions League next season.
A costly 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on the final day of the Premier League season means Unai Emery’s men missed out on the top five and a spot at Europe’s top table against next season.
However, the Spaniard will still need to prepare his side for mixing domestic duties with a title at the Europa League.
As such, plenty of work is going on behind the scenes to mix concerns over meeting the Premier League’s PSR parameters and ensuring the squad can cope with domestic and continental football again.
Emery could have transfer hope on previous defender target
One potential avenue for Emery may have re-opened for Emery in the form of Slovenian centre-back Jaka Bijol.
Villa were linked with a move for the 26-year-old 12 months ago (Birmingham Live), though a move never came to fruition, while Nottingham Forest were also said to be interested.
Now, though, if Villa so wish it looks as though there is a golden opportunity for Villa to have another crack at his signing.
Italian agent Claudio Pasqualin spoke to Messaggero Veneto (30 May) to discuss the future of Bijol, and his team-mates Oumar Solet and Lorenzo Lucca.
Asked about a potential move to the Premier League for Solet and Bijol, he is quotes as saying:”In general there’s more money in the Premier League, so the target market for the two defenders doesn’t surprise me.”
He later hinted that a deal worth around £21million might be enough to convince Udinese to sell.
So, it stands to reason that Emery might look to reignite his interest given his agent has given the green light for a potential exit.
Bijol could add plenty to Aston Villa
Bijol moved to Udinese in the summer of 2022 and has established himself as a key figure in the Serie A side’s defence.
Bijol has made over 95 appearances for the Italian club, showcasing his robust defensive capabilities in one of Europe’s top leagues.
| Club | Appearances | Goals |
| Udinese | 95 | 5 |
His strong performances have also seen him become a regular for the Slovenian national team, earning over 20 caps to date.
Known for his aerial presence, strength in tackles, and ability to read the game, Bijol would be a shrewd signing for Emery as he looks to shore up his defence.
Bikol would add much-needed strength in depth to the Villa backline, giving Emery options as they look to get back into the Champions League after narrowly missing out this season.
The Slovenian international could also prove to be a relatively inexpensive signing.
This would help Villa to strengthen, but also stay below the PSR threshold and avoid potential punishments.