Aston Villa are seemingly eyeing up a summer move for one specific attacking gem who they had their eye on towards the end of 2023.
Aston Villa’s January transfer window
NSWE and Monchi were busy at the beginning of the year, bringing in new players for Unai Emery in a flurry of late transfer activity. The first to arrive in January was right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic from Red Star Belgrade, with the youngster sent back to the club on loan for the rest of the season. Then, on deadline day, top target Morgan Rogers arrived from Middlesbrough, goalkeeper Joe Gauci signed from Adelaide United and teenager Lino Sousa joined from Arsenal before heading to Plymouth Argyle on loan.
Morgan Rogers | Arrival |
Joe Gauci | Arrival |
Lino Sousa | Arrival |
Kosta Nedeljkovic | Arrival |
Bertrand Traore | Permanent exit |
Finn Azaz | Permanent exit |
Kosta Nedeljkovic | Loan exit |
Lino Sousa | Loan exit |
Kerr Smith | Loan exit |
Ben Chrisene | Loan exit |
Rico Richards | Loan exit |
Leander Dendoncker | Loan exit |
Tommi O’Reilly | Loan exit |
Josh Feeney | Loan exit |
However, one player who didn’t end up making the move to Villa Park last month was RB Salzburg gem Oscar Gloukh, despite being heavily linked with a transfer back in December. Valued at £50m by the Austrian side, Gloukh still appears to be of interest to those in the Midlands, according to a new update.
Aston Villa still want Oscar Gloukh
As per Football Insider in the last 48 hours, Villa have a “concrete” interest in signing Gloukh ahead of the summer window and are ‘closely monitoring the 19-year-old following his impressive recent form’.
There has been ‘extensive scouting’ by Villa in regards to Gloukh and the club ‘are very keen on a potential swoop’ as a result, despite bringing in Rogers last month. The report adds that Gloukh is ‘regarded as a top young player and is one of the highest-rated talents in Europe’.
The teenager is two-footed and can also play as a central midfielder as well as his primary attacking midfield role. Already an Israel international, Gloukh made the move to Austria at the beginning of 2023 from Maccabi Tel Aviv and has gone from strength to strength with Salzburg.
Now valued at a career-high €15m by Transfermarkt, Gloukh has contributed to eight Austrian Bundesliga goals in 18 games. (Oscar Gloukh profile – Transfermarkt)
He is under contract until 2027 and has come in for praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who labelled the player as another “jewel” for Salzburg.
Villa and Emery placed their trust in youth with the signings of Rogers, Sousa and Nedeljkovic at the beginning of 2024, and by the looks of things, Gloukh could be the next exciting youngster to put pen to paper at Villa Park in the summer.
