Moussa Diaby was one of Unai Emery’s most important players at Aston Villa throughout last season, but the player is set to leave the club, move to the Saudi Pro League, and join Al Ittihad imminently.
This leaves Aston Villa needing a replacement in the current transfer window. Whilst Unai Emery has a strong squad at his disposal, the funds collected from Diaby’s transfer can be used to bring in a replacement.
As per Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Unai Emery is intrigued by the possibility of signing out-of-favour Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix who is also on Barcelona’s radar. The Portuguese star spent last season on loan at the Catalan club.
The journalist adds that a deal is extremely difficult for the Premier League club to pull off but he is one of the names on the table. Villa will try to convince Atletico and the player but this could be a long transfer saga.
Whilst Barcelona remain interested in signing the 24-year-old, they are solely focused on wrapping up a deal for Nico Williams. This could give Aston Villa the window they need to swoop in and snap up the 2019 Golden Boy winner.
Felix, labeled as a ‘special’ talent by Alvaro Morata, has struggled to live up to the immense potential he showed back when he was breaking through at Benfica. His move to Atletico Madrid did not turn out according to plan with the player falling out with coach Diego Simeone.
Even his previous season on loan at Barcelona was a mixed bag. Felix was exceptional in a few games, most notably in the two games against his parent club but often ghosted through other games, eventually losing a starting place to Raphinha.
If Aston Villa find a way to sign Felix, they will be taking a gamble on a player whose upside is huge. If the Portuguese attacker can find his best form, Unai Emery will have a special player in his hands.
