Aston Villa target Gerard Deulofeu would “definitely be interested” in working with Unai Emery, claims Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Emery’s transfer plan

With Villa currently sitting 11th in the Premier League table and suffering an embarrassing cup exit at home to Stevenage on Sunday, they may be likely to enter the January window in search of reinforcements.

BirminghamLive reported before their cup exit that Emery wants to bring his own players into the Villans squad, with that desire surely only heightened by the result at the weekend.

It was claimed that the Spaniard has made compatriot Deulofeu a key target, with the Midlands outfit tracking the winger.

The Latest: O’Rourke update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed there’s a good chance of a Premier League return for the former Watford and Everton winger, with him fitting the bill of what Emery wants at Villa Park.

He said: “It does seem like he is looking at wide-men and Deulofeu could be a good fit if he is available in this transfer window.

“Due to his previous Premier League experience, it shouldn’t take them too long to get back into the swing of things in the top flight.

“I think Deulofeu would definitely be interested in working with somebody like Unai Emery, who has already made such a big impact at Aston Villa during this short time there.”

The Verdict: Exciting player

Across the 28-year-old’s previous three stints in England, he bagged 20 goals and 24 assists in 127 league appearances.

He struggled for regular minutes in two separate spells at Everton having originally arrived as a 19-year-old, while his later spell at Watford proved more fruitful, with him netting double figures in the 2018/19 campaign for a Hornets side that finished 11th and reached the FA Cup final.

With Villa currently in the same position in the table, the man dubbed a “magician” during his time in Hertfordshire by Phil McNulty could be an exciting injection of quality into the attacking third.

Over the past year, he’s ranked in the top 6% for assists as well as the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes amongst forwards at the top level (via FBref), proving the quality to become a potential shrewd acquisition for Villa.