Ruben Neves in action for Al Hilal (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Aston Villa could land fantastic signing for free in January

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By John Menzies | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 8:43 AM ET

Aston Villa have to be smart with their money, given that they are continuing to struggle with PSR restrictions. The way around this could be to sign free agents that would improve Unai Emery’s squad, and this is something that club officials will be monitoring in the lead-up to 2026.

There will be options for Aston Villa to spend big on signings next summer, but they will be unable to make many of these without a significant sale or two. Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins would be candidates to depart, but those at Villa Park will be desperate to ensure that both players remain on their books for as long as possible.

As such, the key could be to sign free agents that strengthen the options that Emery has at his disposal.

Five players that Aston Villa could agree terms with in January

According to Birmingham World , there are five names that Aston Villa could consider as options for a pre-contract agreement, which they can seek from the 1st of January. One of those is Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, although it would be tricky to get him considering he is also wanted by Real Madrid and Liverpool, among others.

Former Man City star is also out of contract at Barcelona as another defensive option, while in midfield, there could be chances to tempt ex-Wolves captain Ruben Neves to join when his Al-Hilal contract runs out.

On the wing, Upamecano’s Bayern teammate Serge Gnabry could also be an option if he does not sign a new deal before January, and a striker target may end up being Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, who has been linked with the likes of Man United in recent months. For now, it remains to be seen whether Aston Villa make a move for any of these names.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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