Summary Ollie Watkins, key player for Aston Villa, may leave due to interest from the continent. Aston Villa may also potentially sell Leander Dendoncker and Moussa Diaby due to interest from other European suitors. Meanwhile, Bertrand Traore's potential sale in the January transfer window is Unai Emery's last chance to cash in on him as his contract expires at the end of the season.
Aston Villa could be forced to part ways with Ollie Watkins, who may now be ready to leave after being identified as a target for one of Europe's biggest clubs, according to a report.
Which players could leave Aston Villa in January?
There are indications that Villa may look to sell Leander Dendoncker in the January transfer window, as it has recently been reported he is no longer part of the club's plans, amid interest from Fenerbahce at the back end of their summer transfer window.
Although he only arrived at Villa Park in the summer, joining in a £51.9m deal, Moussa Diaby has been speaking about his love for Paris Saint-Germain, as relayed by Sport Witness, which claims the Villans should watch out for future interest from the Ligue 1 side.
There were negotiations regarding the potential sale of Bertrand Traore in the summer transfer window, and given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, the January market will be Unai Emery's last chance to cash in on the forward. Traore has played just nine minutes of Premier League football so far this season, having fallen down the pecking order, which means Emery is unlikely to be too reluctant to lose him, but the manager may be concerned about the interest in Watkins.
According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), AC Milan are now considering a bid for the striker, as they plan for life after Olivier Giroud, and club CEO Giorgio Furlani has identified him as one of his "main transfer targets." Furlani has "decided" on the English striker, and while Villa would be reluctant to let him leave, considering he has starred under Emery, they could consider sanctioning his departure if the Italian club were to make an offer in the region of €30-35m (£26-31m).
Milan would need to be "very convincing" to tempt the 27-year-old into leaving the Villans, but negotiations have already begun, and he is now ready to depart the club, should the right opportunity present itself.
Is Ollie Watkins leaving Aston Villa?
It would seemingly have to be a seriously attractive offer for the England international to leave Aston Villa, but the allure of playing at the San Siro may be difficult to resist, with Fikayo Tomori making it clear just how big of a club AC Milan are. However, Emery will be hoping the forward wants to continue being part of the project at Villa Park, having already played a major role in Villa qualifying for the Europa Conference League last season.
The Torquay-born striker performed very well in the Premier League last term, reaching the 15-goal mark, while also weighing in with six assists in his 37 appearances, having been a mainstay in the Villans' attack. Lauded as "sensational" by members of the media, Watkins has been indispensable for Emery, and the manager will be hoping he is willing to rebuff the interest from AC Milan and sign a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2025.