Aston Villa could heap more misery on Newcastle as Unai Emery eyes £25m transfer
Aston Villa may beat Newcastle United to another reported transfer target amid growing links with Galatasaray star Gabriel Sara.
Last summer, Newcastle lost out to Liverpool and Manchester United when they tried to sign Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko, respectively.
Ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season, Newcastle fans may be experiencing deja vu as Villa are set to gazump them for £49m Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi.
The Magpies were hopeful of signing him from Freiburg but Villa made a late move for the 20-year-old and now it seems he will head to Villa Park instead.
Back in March, Villa and Newcastle were credited with interest in former Norwich City midfielder Sara, whose contract at the Turkish giants runs until 2029.
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The Brazilian has enhanced his reputation since swapping the Championship for the Turkish top-flight in 2024, with the 27-year-old notching 23 goal contributions in 87 games.
But he could be on the move this summer, as Sporx claim that Villa are positioning themselves to potentially sign the playmaker.
The Villans are in desperate need of midfield recruitments following Youri Tielemans’ departure to Manchester United for £35m.
Moreover, Amadou Onana sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury at this summer’s World Cup and fellow midfield enforcer Boubacar Kamara has been sidelined since January with a serious knee injury.
The midfield trio that shone in the Premier League last season will play no part in Villa’s opener this term, but perhaps Sara, Manzambi, and more could.
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Back in March, Villa, Newcastle, Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford were all linked with Sara but for the time being, the West Midlands outfit seem to be the most interested in his services.
After winning the Europa League last season, in addition to qualifying outright for next term’s Champions League, Villa may have more pulling power than ever before.
Emery has done a stunning job since taking over from Steven Gerrard in late 2022, with the Spaniard likely to play a big role in attracting many players to the club.
However, as has been the case in previous years, Villa may need to sell before they can buy, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Lucas Digne, Morgan Rogers, and more, linked with a summer exit.
Villa had a very slow start to the previous campaign, before going on an historic unbeaten run, and then eventually finishing in the top five.
But they may not be able to afford such a sedate beginning if they want to improve on their efforts last term. If they can inject some new blood into the team, though, that will certainly help.
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