Aston Villa’s January business starts with who they can keep, with clubs taking notice of two of Unai Emery’s regulars even as Villa make calls of their own.
Villa weigh up who to keep and where to strengthen ahead of January
Fussball News says Chelsea are watching Boubacar Kamara, with Inter Milan also said to be interested. Villa tied him down until 2030 last year, which leaves them little reason to rush into a decision about his future.
The talk around Ian Maatsen is moving in a different direction, with the left back reported to have verbally agreed a new deal, which would make it harder for Man United to get anywhere with their reported interest.
Maatsen took his club tally to 100 Villa appearances at Old Trafford on Sunday, and the club want that number to keep climbing.
Meanwhile, on the incoming front, journalist Graeme Bailey reports this week that Villa have made contact over Leicester’s Louis Page.
The Foxes want to keep him on loan until the end of the season if they sell up, so that deal could give Emery another midfielder next term without changing what he has to work with this winter.
The latest name in the frame is a little further along, with a title behind him and a club who will take some persuading.
Aston Villa prepare to make their move for Milton Delgado
Villa may soon find out how hard it will be to get Milton Delgado out of Boca Juniors.
Sport Witness, citing Argentine outlet Soy del Millo, reports that Villa are expected to table a formal bid to Boca in the next few days after spending about six months watching the midfielder.
Delgado is 21 and has already played 45 games for Boca this year, having only made his senior debut in 2024, and it is believed that Villa’s scouts have been impressed by the player who’s also been targeted by Brighton.
He appeared in 28 of the 32 matches that counted towards the annual league table, which Boca topped thanks to Enner Valencia’s stoppage time winner against Defensa y Justicia on Saturday.
|
Milton Delgado’s Boca Juniors stats — 2026 title season |
|
|---|---|
|
Total |
2026 |
|
Appearances |
45 |
|
Starts |
40 |
|
Minutes |
3,467 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Yellow cards |
11 |
|
Red cards |
0 |
Boca only gave him a new deal in October, taking him through to December 2030, and president Juan Román Riquelme would rather keep him.
According to Sport Witness, a sizeable bid could bring Boca to the table, but the report gives no figure and Villa haven’t made an offer yet.
TyC Sports reported that Boca turned down close to £7.5m from Atlanta United in August, and Delgado now has a title medal and a longer contract than he did then, which gives Villa a clue about how much work that first offer needs to do if they want him in January.
Delgado could give Emery more control when Villa are ahead
It’s easy to join the dots with the Kamara talk, but Emery could use another player in that part of midfield even if he stays.
Villa were 4-2 up when stoppage time began at Old Trafford and still left with only a point, which made the case for someone who could help them spend more of those last minutes on the ball.
Delgado did the unglamorous part of the job in Boca’s title clincher, completing 54 of 58 passes against Defensa y Justicia and stayed on for the full match, giving his side somebody to keep the ball moving while their forwards looked for the goal they needed.
Villa’s next step would be to see how much of that he can bring to a quicker league.
An experienced partner such as Kamara, if he stays, could take some of the pressure off while he learns when Emery wants the ball played forward and when he’s happy for Villa to slow things down.
Villa didn’t have much trouble getting ahead at Old Trafford, but a player who can help them stay on the ball once they’re there would be useful in his own right, whatever happens with the interest in Kamara.
