Villa were targeting Conor Gallagher before their injury issues, only for him to pick Tottenham after months of Villa negotiations. The Brazil international has already missed 12 games for Forest this season through injuries. The fact Villa had to sell Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for profit and sustainability reasons also meant Emery lost a key midfielder. Villa will not pay to turn the Liverpool loanee's move permanent and he has not played since October. "Yes, of course," said Emery when asked on Wednesday if he had enough depth to compete.

Source: BBC January 29, 2026 12:22 UTC