Monchi to use Spanish connections to sign Real Madrid ace for Aston Villa
Aston Villa have thrived under Unai Emery, who has relied on youngsters, and Real Madrid prospect Arda Guler could be another player Monchi could bring to propel the Lions further.
The Villans have gone from strength to strength under the Spanish manager, and with his thriving partnership with the president of football operations at Villa Park, things could get even better.
Villa's current average team age is 27.2, with 9.4 per cent of the minutes this season going to academy players [The Athletic].
Jacob Ramsey has established himself as one of the key figures in the team over the years, while Morgan Rogers has come into his own in the current campaign.
Emery has heavily relied on the former Middlesbrough star, who was handed his international debut in England's 3-0 win over Greece on 14 November in the Nations League.
While the development of young talent is encouraging, there's arguably more that can be done, with Arsenal and Tottenham setting an example with average ages of 26.4 and 25.7, respectively.
Aston Villa could unlock Arda Guler
Guler is someone the Lions have a strong interest in, and Real Madrid are said to be open to allowing the Turkish youngster to leave on loan, according to CaughtOffside.
The 19-year-old moved to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2023 with high hopes, but Carlo Ancelotti has hardly afforded the winger any minutes.
With Monchi's connections in Spain and Emery's soaring reputation, the Villans could have a realistic opportunity to convince Guler to move to Birmingham.
While it would be unlikely for Madrid to sanction a permanent move initially, the Lions could force the player to manoeuvre an exit if he thrives at Villa Park on loan.
In other Aston Villa news, the transfer fee required to sign Malik Tillman from PSV has been revealed.