Unai Emery may have already identified the next piece of his Aston Villa jigsaw, with the former Arsenal boss tipped to make a mega move for a Premier League star early in the transfer window.
Villa gearing up for Champions League football
After a historic season, Aston Villa will be playing Champions League football for the first time under its current name, and are already moving to ensure that their squad is strong enough to do so.
They have been strongly linked with a move for free agent Mario Hermoso, while the likes of Wilfried Ndidi, Michael Olise and most recently defender Archie Brown are all also thought to be on their radar.
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They have already made their most important signing of the window, tying Unai Emery down to a new long term deal that keeps him at the club until 2029 amid widespread interest in the Spaniard.
But attentions now turn back to the pitch, and there is one man Villa are hoping to snag on the cheap.
Villa keen on Chelsea midfielder
That comes in the shape of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. As per the Independent, Villa are eyeing a move for the 24-year-old, who is widely expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer amid interest from across the Premier League.
It is claimed that there is "hope a deal can be done" as "Chelsea need to make major sales before 30 June", though the Villans are also somewhat hamstrung by financial restrictions.
They can offer Champions League football though, and Emery is said to be a massive fan since he "believes can suit their new approach" and help bolster his midfield ahead of the new season.
How Gallagher compares to Aston Villa midfielders (23/24 PL)
Conor Gallagher
John McGinn
Douglas Luiz
Appearances
37
35
35
Goals
5
6
9
Assists
7
4
5
Pass accuracy
89.2%
79.5%
85.7%
Fouls commited per 90
2.39
1.17
1.53
Yellow cards
9
9
12
Stats taken from fbref
Though not necessarily the most stylish and easy on the eye player, Gallagher's value is recognised by those he plays with. This season, Moises Caicedo has been stationed in midfield with the Englishman, and has spoken highly of the Cobham youth product.
"Conor is like a machine, you know? I like to play alongside Conor and Enzo. With Conor, he has different characteristics. Enzo is more an offensive player and Conor is more defensive and he helps me a lot when we need to recover the ball. It’s amazing to play with both of them", the ex-Brighton man told the Chelsea website.
But whether or not they are playing together next season remains unclear, with Gallagher having long been touted as a potential sale this summer due to his status as home grown, which makes navigating financial fair play easier for the Blues.
With one year left on his £50,000 a week deal in west London, Gallagher has made no secret of his desire to play for Chelsea, but may not have a choice and though Chelsea may have to compromise somewhat on their £50m asking price, he could be moved on.