Honestly, if you’d told a Villa fan three years ago that we’d be sitting third in the Premier League in mid-January 2026, while juggling a legitimate Europa League knockout run and a massive FA Cup win at Spurs, they’d have probably asked what you were drinking. But here we are. It’s January 14, 2026, and the news on Aston Villa is moving faster than Leon Bailey on a counter-attack.
The vibe around Bodymoor Heath right now is a weird mix of "we’re actually doing this" and "how do we survive these injuries?" Unai Emery has turned this club into a machine. Yet, even machines need spare parts when the starters start smoking.
The January Transfer Scramble: Why Malen Out Means Big Business
Basically, the biggest story today is Donyell Malen. It’s happening. Fabrizio Romano basically confirmed it: Malen is off to AS Roma on a loan-to-buy deal. Villa get a £2m loan fee now and a mandatory £25m check at the end of the season.
Why sell a guy who’s bagged seven goals this season?
Financial Fair Play (or PSR, or whatever they're calling it this week) is always lurking. But more importantly, Emery wants a specific profile. We’ve already seen 19-year-old Alysson arrive from Gremio for about £10.5m. He’s that left-footed right-winger profile that scouts have been drooling over.
But the real "wow" news on Aston Villa today is the Tammy Abraham talk. Yes, that Tammy. He’s at Besiktas now, but reports from Turkiye Gazetesi suggest Villa have offered a player-plus-cash deal involving Evann Guessand. It sounds like a FIFA career mode trade, but Unai is serious about a homecoming for Tammy.
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The Injury Crisis Nobody Wants to Talk About
Look, being third in the table is great. Being six points off Arsenal is incredible. But the medical room is starting to look like a field hospital.
Boubacar Kamara hobbling off after nine minutes against Tottenham in the FA Cup was a gut punch. Initial scans suggest he’s out for two to three weeks. That doesn't sound bad until you realize Amadou Onana is also out for at least another fortnight. Our midfield is basically John McGinn and Youri Tielemans holding back the tide by themselves.
- Boubacar Kamara: Out 2-3 weeks (Knee/Leg).
- Amadou Onana: Out ~2 weeks (Thigh).
- Ross Barkley: Not back until February.
- Emi Martinez: Carrying a calf niggle, though we expect him for the Everton game.
It’s a lot. Honestly, it's a miracle the results are still coming. That 2-1 win at Spurs was gritty. It wasn't the "Emery-ball" perfection we saw earlier in the season, but it showed a spine that Villa teams of the past simply didn't have.
Can Villa Actually Win the Premier League?
Let’s be real for a second. Most pundits are waiting for the "Villa collapse." They’ve been waiting since August. But with 43 points from 21 games, the stats are starting to back us up. Morgan Rogers is playing like a man possessed—15 goals and 15 assists across the 2025 calendar year. He’s effectively become the heartbeat of the attack.
The schedule is the real enemy. We’ve got Everton at Villa Park this Sunday, then a flight to Turkey to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
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The depth is being tested. We saw Jaden Sancho (yes, he's still here) and Buendia coming off the bench against Palace last week, but the impact wasn't quite there in that 0-0 draw. We need the clinical edge back.
What Really Matters: The Emery Factor
The most important bit of news on Aston Villa isn't actually a player. It’s the man in the dugout. Emery’s contract runs until 2027, and there’s already talk about another extension. He has the best points-per-game record of any Villa manager in the modern era.
He’s obsessed. He probably spends his Friday nights watching replays of Everton's throw-ins. And that’s why we’re third.
The club is moving away from just "hoping" to win. There is a structure now. Bringing in Brian Madjo and Alysson shows the recruitment team is looking at 2028, not just next week.
Actionable Insights for Villa Fans
If you’re following the team this month, keep your eyes on these three things:
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- The Midfield Pivot: Watch how Tielemans and McGinn handle the workload against Everton. If they look leggy, the club must dive back into the market for a short-term loan.
- Tammy Abraham Updates: If this deal goes through, it changes the ceiling for the season. Having a proven PL goalscorer to rotate with Ollie Watkins is a game-changer for the Europa League knockouts.
- The Home Form: We ended 2025 with 10 straight home wins. Villa Park has become a fortress again. The Everton game is a must-win to keep the pressure on Arsenal and Man City.
The next few weeks are basically the season's crossroads. If we navigate this injury crisis and land a striker, who knows? Maybe those "crazy" fans dreaming of a trophy aren't so crazy after all.
Check the lineup an hour before the Everton match on Sunday. If Emi Martinez isn't in goal, expect a much more conservative defensive line.
Stay tuned to the official club channels for the Alysson registration news—he should be eligible for the next Premier League matchday.
Monitor the Besiktas news cycle; Turkish sources usually break the Tammy Abraham details before the UK press.