da brdice： Aston Villa have made an excellent start to the campaign and are now looking ahead to next summer, with an ambitious transfer pursuit reportedly lined up.
Aston Villa continue to exceed expectation…
da casino： Incredibly, Aston Villa marked their transformation since being relegation conteders in the first half of last campaign by defeating Tottenham Hotspur in N17 last weekend, which has placed the Villans fourth in the Premier League table with 28 points from 13 matched played.
Sitting two points off the top of the pile, there is optimism growing in the West Midlands that Unai Emery's men could look to mount a challenge for Champions League qualification, with some even talking about a potential push to try and win the English top-flight title.
One man who has come in for hefty praise after his weekend heroic is Villans goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who pulled off some fantastic saves against Ange Postecoglou's men, giving his side a platform to claim three points on the day.
Speaking to BBC Sport, former Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic lavished praise on the Argentina international's contribution in conversation with BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily, stating: "He can rub people the wrong way but his performances speak for themselves."
"He’s been really solid and taken his game to a new level. He really kept his team in the game and made some big saves [against Tottenham] at crucial times, which is what top goalkeepers do."
Far from the only player to play a heavy role in Aston Villa's success this term, Martinez and company will hope they can keep up the good work when Legia Warsaw come to town in the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.
Aston Villa fixtures – all competitions
Competition
Opponent
Venue
Europa Conference League
Legia Warsaw (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Bournemouth (A)
Vitality Stadium
Premier League
Manchester City (H)
Villa Park
Premier League
Arsenal (H)
Villa Park
Europa Conference League
Zrinjski Mostar (A)
Stadion pod Bijelim brijegom
Turning their attention to the market, Aston Villa now look to have a marquee pursuit lined up; however, they will have to wait until the summer to try and entice the man in question to Villa Park.
Aston Villa want Kieran Tierney
According to FootballTransfers, Aston Villa are keen to try and sign Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney next summer after previously holding admiration toward his talents earlier this year, once he returns from his loan spell at Real Sociedad.
Mikel Arteta is believed to want him back at the Emirates Stadium for the 2024/25 campaign. At the same time, Real Sociedad are keen to make his move permanent, which is not something Arsenal are believed to be opposed to either come 2024.
Tierney, who has previously been labelled a "warrior" by Ashley Cole, has made five appearances for the La Liga outfit this term in all competitions amid a littany of injury issues in the Basque Country (Tierney statistics – Transfermarkt).
Nevertheless, the Scotland international carries a wealth of Premier League experience and plenty of trophy winning nous from his time at Celtic, making him an appealing option to potentially add to the left-back slot for Aston Villa.
Latest Aston Villa transfer news: Unai eyes £40m deal; Saudi club want star
It’s a huge summer for Aston Villa and Unai Emery as they prepare for the Champions League.
ByEmilio Galantini