Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could already be lining up potential summer deals for Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams and Las Palmas wonderkid Alberto Moleiro, according to The Athletic.
If Nottingham Forest’s January window deserves an A-plus, and Everton’s a foul-smelling F, then Aston Villa’s probably ranks around a C. Good, not great. Passable.
In came Alex Moreno, one of Europe’s most underrated left-backs, and the exciting Jhon Duran. Out went a number of seldom-seen fringe players. On the other hand, Villa also sold their top Premier League goalscorer – Danny Ings – to West Ham United.
And, try as they might, Emery’s calls for an exciting wideman went unanswered; Arnaut Danjuma joining Tottenham, Luiz Henrique committing his future to Real Betis, and Gerard Deulofeu suffering a prohibitive knee injury.
As such, Aston Villa will have to wait until the summer before picking up where they left off. Do not be surprised to see the Midland giants lodge an approach for 20-year-old Spain international Williams come June.
Williams has been a revelation this season in La Liga; a member of Luis Enrique’s Qatar World Cup squad.
Before the current campaign began, there were questions asked of Williams’ end product. Six goals and five assists since have answered those rather emphatically.
Aston Villa like Nico Williams and Spain U21 star Alberto Moleiro
“In one-on-ones, he is practically unstoppable,” Athletic team-mate and older brother Inaki Williams explains. “(His rise) is incredible. He is showing that he is (improving), he is gaining experience. In front of goal, he is improving a lot.
“He is a talent, a rough diamond that needs to be polished. He has a lot of room for improvement and hopefully he can continue to improve.”
Williams, who likens himself to Kylian Mbappe for his searing pace and delicious directness, is almost certain to set Aston Villa back a club-record sum. Villa, per The Mail’s Dominic King, failed with a £45 million bid last month.
In addition to Williams, The Athletic add that former Villarreal, Valencia and Sevilla coach Emery is also a fan of another of Spain’s rising stars. 19-year-old Alberto Moleiro looks like Pedri, he plays like Pedri, and he came through the ranks at Las Palmas. Like Pedri.
“Little Alberto Moleiro plays at an incredible level for his age,” Las Palmas team-mate Nuke Mfulu tells Tinta Amarilla.
In 24 games in Spain’s second tier, teenager Moleiro has seven assists this season. Aston VIlla are likely to face competition from, funnily enough, Pedri’s Barcelona for Spain U21 international with a £26 million release clause in his Las Palmas contract.
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