Aston Villa must go all out for Conor Gallagher after Unai Emery hit with hammer blow
Unai Emery must do everything he can to ensure Conor Gallagher makes the move to Aston Villa from Atletico Madrid.
Aston Villa are now in the race to sign Gallagher, and want to bring the midfielder in on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy in the summer.
The Englishman left Chelsea to join Diego Simeone’s side back in the summer of 2024, but is already eyeing a switch back to the Premier League.
Gallagher was linked with Villa before his move to Atletico Madrid, and now Emery has all the more reason to bring in the 25-year-old.
Aston Villa lose Boubacar Kamara to injury
Aston Villa beat Tottenham 2-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday evening, progressing through to the fourth round of the competition.
Emi Buendia opened the scoring for the Villans, before Morgan Rogers doubled their advantage just before the break.
Wilson Odobert pulled a goal back for Thomas Frank’s side early in the second half, but Villa held on to win the tie.
However, Aston Villa lost Boubacar Kamara to injury just nine minutes into the contest, the Frenchman hobbling off to be replaced by Youri Tielemans.
Kamara seemed to suffer a blow to the knee, but his manager is hoping that there is no significant damage.
In his post-match press conference, Emery said: “Tomorrow we will check him. We will know something about his injury.
“Of course, we must be patient until tomorrow. Hopefully it’s not a big injury, and something less than more.”
Conor Gallagher can replace Boubacar Kamara
Kamara has been one of Aston Villa’s most important players this season, so any injury layoff would be a big blow for Emery.
The 26-year-old is so important in possession, and according to FBRef, is in the top 15 per cent of Premier League midfielders for pass accuracy this season (88 per cent).
He also records 0.57 goal-creating actions per 90, and already has three top-flight assists this term.
| Premier League (25-26) | Boubacar Kamara |
| Appearances | 18 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Pass accuracy | 88% |
| GCA (Per 90) | 0.57 |
| Tackles (Per 90) | 2.36 |
| Interceptions (Per 90) | 1.15 |
| Aerials won (Per 90) | 2.23 |
Kamara is also crucial defensively, making 2.36 tackles, 1.15 interceptions, and winning 2.23 aerials per 90.
If the Frenchman’s injury is serious, then Villa must surely go all out to sign Gallagher so that they have a suitable replacement in the centre of the park.
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