Aston Villa have another minor rebuild to navigate this summer after seeing Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers leave for Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.
Lucas Digne has also returned to Paris Saint-Germain, creating another vacancy for Unai Emery to address as he looks to keep Villa competitive.
With the club having to remain mindful of PSR regulations, however, Emery cannot simply spend his way out of every problem.
That means the transfer market will require a degree of creativity, and Villa now appear to have identified an experienced Premier League defender who could be available for a relatively modest fee.
Aston Villa Hold Talks to Sign Wan-Bissaka
Aston Villa have held exploratory talks with West Ham United over Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the right-back emerging as one of their options for the position, according to The Athletic.
Villa are keen to add competition for Matty Cash, while their pursuit of Emerson Royal did not ultimately materialise. Kosta Nedeljkovic could also leave this summer, with Rangers and other clubs showing an interest in the young defender.
Wan-Bissaka has been praised as “one of the best one vs. one defenders I’ve ever seen” by former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, highlighting the defensive qualities that have made him such a respected full-back throughout his career.
The 28-year-old is reportedly valued at around £25 million by West Ham. That could make him an attractive option for Villa, particularly given their financial restrictions.
Wan-Bissaka joined the Hammers from Manchester United for £15 million in August 2024, signing a seven-year contract. He has since made 65 appearances for the club, although his second season ended with relegation from the Premier League.
The defender started 25 league matches last term, but eventually lost his place to Kyle Walker-Peters towards the end of the campaign. He had previously spent five seasons at Manchester United, making 190 appearances and winning both the League Cup and FA Cup.
Wan-Bissaka also enjoyed a significant summer on the international stage, starting all four of DR Congo’s World Cup matches. His side drew 1-1 with Portugal and came close to eliminating England before Harry Kane’s second-half brace turned the last-32 tie around.
With West Ham now preparing for life in the Championship, Villa could look to take advantage of the situation. Wan-Bissaka’s Premier League experience and defensive ability would give Emery another reliable option at right-back without requiring the club to commit to an enormous transfer fee.
