MusaAston Villa were beaten 4-1 away at Arsenal last time out. They remain in a strong position in the Premier League table though and are inside the top four. Unai Emery’s side are back in action this weekend against Nottingham Forest as they aim to return to winning ways.
The Midlands club will be able to do some transfer business now the January window is open. They have the chance to bolster their squad and bring in some new faces. Emery could do with some more competition and depth up top for Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa linked with Newcastle United striker Will Osula
ston Villa have been linked with a move for £28 million-rated Newcastle United striker Will Osula this winter. The 22-year-old could be seen as someone to boost their attacking department. If he joined, he would give them another option to pick from instead of Watkins.
Osula, who is a former Denmark youth international, has been on the books of his current club since joining them in 2024. However, he has struggled for regular minutes in the North East meaning his future is up in the air at this moment in time. The forward has made 33 appearances in all competitions and has scored five goals, three of which have come this season.
The Copenhagen-born footballer started out in England with Sheffield United and went on to play 31 matches for the Blades’ first-team as a youngster. He was also loaned out away from Bramall Lane to Derby County to get some experience. Newcastle then came calling but he is in limbo right now.
Osula is still quite raw and it would be a gamble for Aston Villa to fork out a hefty almost £30m to get him. They also have to be careful with PSR which will impact on what business they can do over the coming weeks. They will need to be smart with their recruitment.
Aston Villa should swerve Will Osula pursuit and target Ayase Ueda instead
Osula has hardly been prolific in his career so far so Aston Villa should target Feyenoord hotshot Ayase Ueda instead. At the age of 27, he is more experienced than Osula and he has caught the eye in the Eredivisie in this campaign. He is the top scorer in the Dutch top flight at the moment and is highly rated.
Ueda, who has recently been linked with Leeds United, has scored 19 goals in 25 games in all competitions this term, 18 of which have come in the league. He has proved that he knows where the back of the net is and should now test himself in England for a new challenge. The Japan international has 36 caps for his country to date as well.
The former Kashima Antlers man moved over to Europe in 2022 and was snapped up by Cercle Brugge. He was a handful for the Belgian Pro League club and found the net on 23 occasions in 42 outings. That form earned him a switch to Feyenoord and he has since carried on his goal scoring exploits.
If Aston Villa brought him in, he would be perfect cover for Watkins. He would also offer Emery something different to call upon in games which would come in handy. Ueda is quick and likes to get in behind defenders and although he is not the tallest, he makes up for it with his trickery and flair.
Musa
