da aposte e ganhe: Aston Villa have been handed a much-needed boost in their pursuit of a January transfer target after Tottenham hijacked their deal for Conor Gallagher.
Spurs win race for Gallagher despite verbal Villa agreement
da casino: According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa and Unai Emery had a verbal agreement in place to sign the Englishman, with another reliable journalist in John Percy also claiming that Gallagher was ready to join.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, Spurs then burst into the race for him and offered more money to Atlético Madrid.
Gallagher’s eagerness to seal a move to north London then sealed their signing of the 25-year-old, with Villa promptly leaving the race after coming so close to striking a January deal.
It is a blow for Emery’s side, who must now go back to square one in their pursuit of a box-to-box midfielder who can bolster Villa’s ranks and help restore their Premier League title push.
As well as this, reports suggest striker Donyell Malen is coming fairly close to a Serie A move, despite the Dutchman’s presence as a quality squad player who’s made 29 appearances in all competitions this season.
The versatile 26-year-old has also chipped in with nine goal contributions in that time, but given he’s started just five of his 21 Premier League outings, it is perhaps understandable why he’d be open to leaving for more minutes ahead of the World Cup.
With Malen’s exit a reported possibility, Villa will need another number nine, even after signing teenage sensation Brian Madjo from FC Metz in a £10.5 million deal.
Enter former cult hero Tammy Abraham, who was once a prolific star at Villa Park and made a serious impact under Dean Smith.
The 28-year-old bagged 26 goals in 40 Championship appearances back during the 2018/2019 season, which helped to guide Villa back to the big time via Play-Off final glory against Derby County.
News of a possible reunion with Abraham has understandably sparked some excitement within the fanbase, and Romano has confirmed that they’ve held “initial talks” to ask about the striker.
The Telegraph first broke news of Villa’s interest in re-signing Abraham, with talkSPORT now giving Emery further encouragement.
Tammy Abraham keen on return to Aston Villa
As per their information this week, Abraham is in fact keen on the prospect of re-joining Villa this month, and the possibility of a return to England after nearly five years playing abroad.
However, the deal will be a complex one, as the former Chelsea man is currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma right now, and the Turkish Süper Lig giants have an obligation to buy him permanently in the summer.
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It remains to be seen how Villa manage to get around that fact, but the interest is very much there, and Abraham himself reciprocates it.
That being said, European football expert Andy Brassell has claimed that the ex-Villa ace is no longer the player he was six years ago.
He’s racked up 12 goals and three assists in 24 total appearances for Besikas this term, including five goals in six European qualifiers, with the “goal machine”, as called by ex-Sunderland forward Stephen Elliott, now rediscovering his form in Turkey.
Abraham vs Watkins
Player
Abraham
Watkins
Appearances
24
29
Starts
21
20
Minutes
1726′
1871′
Goals
12
7
Assists
3
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.62
0.27
Minutes per Goal Involvement
115.06′
233.87′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Abraham is believed to be earning around £125,000-per-week at Besiktas, and such wages would bring him in line with the likes of Ollie Watkins and John McGinn.
Aston Villa set to green-light sale of "fantastic" £18m star within hours
The Villans are looking to make some changes to their squad this month.
ByDominic Lund
