Aston Villa are closing in on an agreement with West Ham United to sign right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka on an initial loan with an option to buy.
According to The Athletic, the option can turn into an obligation if certain conditions are met, and the DR Congo international is set for a medical on Wednesday ahead of a switch to Villa Park.
The 28-year-old was relegated from the Premier League with West Ham at the end of last season, and the club had reportedly set an asking price of £25m for the defender, who has five years left on his contract.
Villa have been able to find a compromise. A loan always felt like it could be an ideal solution for all parties, and so it has proved. It remains to be seen what the conditions are for the obligation to kick in.
Securing a loan move rather than an up-front payment may also help the club to keep some funds left over to use at other positions, with a right winger still an area of need.
For too long, Villa have sorely lacked competition for Matty Cash, who in previous seasons under Unai Emery did not seem like a perfect fit, and potentially someone they could look to eventually replace.
Last season, Cash arguably had his best campaign under Emery and was one of the most important and consistent parts of the team’s success.
Even so, they still need a competent backup for Cash if nothing else, especially with Kosta Nedeljković reportedly close to joining Rangers. Villa were fortunate that Cash was mostly healthy last year, starting 34 of a possible 38 Premier League games.
In the previous three seasons he averaged only 22 starts. When he has missed games in the past couple of years, Villa have turned to young, unproven options like Nedeljković or Andrés GarcÃa, or players out of their natural position, like Ezri Konsa or Lamare Bogarde for cover.
With the addition of Wan-Bissaka, they will not have to hold their breath and hope Cash does not get injured.
An experienced Premier League player at West Ham, Manchester United and Crystal Palace, their new signing should legitimately compete with Cash and provide a different skill set as more of a ‘defence-first’ right-back.
Emery likes to have options at full-back. He has been able to pick between Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen on the left side in the last couple of years, tailoring his team selection to the gameplan and opponent. With Digne having left for PSG, a replacement was quickly found in Matteo Ruggeri.
Villa’s manager should now have the same optionality on the right side, able to choose between Cash and Wan-Bissaka based on who suits a specific game. Wan-Bissaka should provide valuable depth and competition for this season, and potentially beyond.
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