Steven Gerrard has confirmed that Aston Villa had a bid turned down for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in the January transfer window – and he will assess the defensive midfield situation again ahead of the summer.
Steven Gerrard said: “Incomings, the window was extremely strong. There were areas that we needed to find solutions for us to be stronger and better. We got 90/95% of business done that we wanted to get done in the window. I’m delighted with the support from the board. It was well documented that we put in a bid for Bissouma at Brighton which was turned away, and we respected and appreciated. If a move is not right then we will not become desperate and make a decisions that we do not think is right. If it’s not right at the time we might have to be patient in a few situations.”
Villa await the return of Nakamba, who ought to be back in the coming weeks, but speculation mounted in January as to who Villa and Gerrard might turn to in his absence. You can expect it to be a department of the squad which is revisited again once the curtain falls on this season, but Gerrard won’t accept anything less than his first choice targets – Villa, he says, should only be opting for the best.
Steven Gerrard said: “Pre-window and during the window we were probably linked with 12 holding midfielders. It’s a position we’re looking to add in. With Nakamba, he’ll be back fit soon so we’ll assess it as we go along, things might change, but going into this window with the injury to Naka I felt it was a priority to try to solve it, but we’ll only make decisions and say yes to certain situations if they’re going to be right for Aston Villa. I won’t be a manager who will try to be wasteful or compromise in certain situations and go down the list because I believe our fans and this club deserves the right people in the right positions. If that’s the case and we have to be patient then we’ll do it. The support I’ve had during the first window and since I walked in the door has been brilliant and I really appreciate that. We will keep analysing the squad and if we feel we need support in that area we’ll look for the right target. We won’t compromise and try to find Plan B, C, D or E. We’ll keep pushing and try to get the right person.”
Villa let Anwar El Ghazi leave the club, while Trezeguet has also departed on a loan deal – that move, to Istanbul Basaksehir, was confirmed on Tuesday. Matt Targett joined Newcastle United, and Wesley Moraes swapped loan clubs. A host of Championship clubs are now the beneficiaries of some of Villa’s finest young talent, too, and for Gerrard it was all about finding the right fits across the board for a group of players keen to crack on with their playing careers.
Steven Gerrard said: “In terms of people going out, we tried to be respectful, honest and fair. People who wanted to go out on loan have been given the opportunity. From a personal point of view, they felt they needed game-time. They needed a fresh challenge. The young players are getting valuable experience. The likes of El Ghazi and Trezeguet, you have to give these players the opportunity to go and play football. Outgoings we’re pretty content with the decisions we’ve made. A lot of players are thriving: Cameron Archer, Jaden [Philogene-Bidace], Keinan [Davis]. We’re pleased with the decisions and how they’re going.”
