Unai Emery wants to build a stronger Aston Villa for next year
Unai Emery hopes to make Villa even stronger next season as attention turns to the summer transfer window.
The Villa boss will sit down with the club’s billionaire owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, later this week to thrash out plans for the next few months.
Villa’s first focus is ensuring they remain compliant with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules and it is possible one or more players could depart before others come in.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is of interest, while the London club have also been tracking Villa forward Jhon Duran.
Speaking after yesterday’s 5-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, Emery said: “We have to decide about how we are going to build again the squad with the players, like last year. We are going to decide how we can get stronger. How we are building the team. The next step ahead is trying to improve this summer.”
Duran started just his third Premier League match of the season at Selhurst Park, having made 20 appearances off the bench.
The Colombia international has scored six league goals in his first full campaign in English football but is thought to have been frustrated with his game time.
Asked about his future at the club last week, Emery replied: “He (Duran) is here because we wanted him and we want to keep him as well. We are thinking he can improve us, stay here and work with us. But, of course, we have to be ready in case there’s something we have to do in the transfer window, with every player – even him. But at the moment, I’m happy with him.”
Villa’s defeat at Selhurst Park was their heaviest in the Premier League since they were beaten 6-1 at home by Manchester City in January, 2020.
Emery paid tribute to the travelling supporters after the match, saying: “Thank you to our supporters because even today they were with us.
“We achieved our objective on Tuesday and we did everything we could with our supporters in Villa Park on Monday. They were travelling here today to be with us, supporting us.
“We are disappointed with the result, but we have to accept it. We have to be happy and share with our supporters the whole season, not just today. Every match is very important and today we lost but we’d achieved our target. We have to accept it and keep going forward.”
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