ASTON VILLA ARE LEADING THE RACE TO SIGN AC MILAN GEM AFTER HE REVEALS RELATIONSHIP WITH UNAI EMERY

Unai Emery is reportedly getting the ball rolling for a major summer transfer.

Aston Villa are reportedly among several clubs interested in signing AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Unai Emery is keen to add further depth and quality to his squad when the market opens up again as Villa seek to become regulars in the UEFA Champions League and alternative European competitions. The current squad is doing a superb job to challenge for the Premier League top five and reach the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and FA Cup but Emery is always striving for more.

The midfield is probably the most packed area of Villa’s squad but that didn’t stop issues from cropping up throughout January and February. As the fixture congestion ramped up with games taking place twice or thrice every week, Villa lost key players through injury and there came a point when it was almost a crisis with many missing in the central defensive and midfield areas.

One period saw John McGinn and Youri Tielemans hardly given a minute’s rest as the likes of Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara and Ross Barkley all suffered injuries at a similar time. It was far from an ideal situation to compete across many competitions as Emery was unable to rotate in fresh legs as often as he would have liked.

To correct that issue, Villa are rumoured to be keen on dipping their toes in the upcoming transfer market. An Italian publication has jumped on that bandwagon, reporting interest in a certain target.

Milan Live claims Villa have been keeping tabs on Musah ahead of the summer window and are weighing up making an official approach. Newcastle United and West Ham United have also been credited an interest in Musah as they seek to bolster their midfield options before next season.

How would Yunus Musah fit in at Aston Villa?

Predominantly a central midfielder but capable of playing on either flank, as a number 10 or even in either full-back role, Musah would provide superb cover in an array of positions.

Despite his tendency to stick to a particular structure, Emery sometimes switches up his tactics when game plans aren’t quite clicking. As a result, versatility is an attribute valued very highly by the Spaniard – as seen by his successful varied usage of Morgan Rogers throughout this season.

Musah, already a 45-time United States international despite only turning 22 in November, could become Emery’s next versatile king. The New York native, an Arsenal academy product, is yet to score for AC Milan since signing from Valencia in August 2023 but he’s been heavily involved in their progression across Serie A and the Champions League.

With 35 appearances across all competitions already this campaign and 40 last season, Musah has emerged as an important player for Milan. The American has particularly shone under new manager Sergio Conceicao, becoming a regular starter as Milan aim to close the gap between themselves and the the likes of Juventus, Atalanta, Napoli and Inter Milan.

It’s unlikely Musah would start for Villa if he were to sign in the summer but he’d be an excellent rotation option and could force his way into the team in an auxiliary role, perhaps as a wide midfielder or a full-back. The report from Milan Live suggests the 22-year-old would cost around €30 million (£25.3m) to lure away from the San Siro.