Aston Villa are continuing their search for a right-back and according to multiple reports have held talks with West Ham over a potential move for Aaron-Wan Bissaka.
The club are looking to add competition for Matty Cash, who is the only recognised senior right-back at the club. 20-year-old Kosta Nedeljkovic has been in the mix during preseason, but does not appear to be part of Emery’s plans this season and reportedly has interest from Rangers.
Villa have not had a true backup for Cash in the Unai Emery era, with Lamare Bogarde chief among a few players to fill in at times during the last couple of seasons.
They have sought to address that issue this summer, having been linked with former Tottenham defender Emerson Royal earlier in the window. Now Wan-Bissaka is the latest name to be connected with a move to Villa Park.
The Daily Mail were first to report Villa’s interest in the 28-year-old, with The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell claiming the Hammers want £25m for the DR Congo international.
Wan-Bissaka joined West Ham in the summer of 2024 for a reported £15m, signing a seven-year deal, which still has five years left to run. He had previous stops at Manchester United and Crystal Palace, having moved from Selhurst Park to Old Trafford for £45m back in 2019.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2025/26 season, with Wan-Bissaka making 25 appearances, including 23 starts.
Adding a £10m markup on the price they paid two years ago seems a tad unrealistic, especially since West Ham are not selling from a position of power after relegation. The length of time remaining on Wan-Bissaka’s contract has likely emboldened them to set a high price.
Whether Villa wants to, or are capable of spending that kind of money on a backup right-back is up for debate. Part of the appeal of their pursuit of Emerson Royal was that they believed a deal could be struck on the cheap.
The club have made significant sales this summer in Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, and have paid decent fees to replace some of those players, but Villa are constantly battling with UEFA’s financial restrictions and can therefore not spend with reckless abandon.
They also have other positions that must be addressed, as they look for another central midfielder and an attacker. Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri is expected to be announced as the latest new recruit shortly.
If West Ham are confident of being promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt, perhaps a loan deal could suit all parties.
It would help Villa secure some insurance at right-back in a crucial season, relieve West Ham of Wan-Bissaka’s wages for a year, but give them the right to keep him beyond this season if they are indeed back in the Premier League. The loan could even include an option to buy.
However, Villa can only take on one more domestic loan after bringing in Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea. A potential loan for Wan-Bissaka would therefore restrict their ability to take advantage of other opportunities that could present themselves towards the end of the window.
Wan-Bissaka is a proven Premier League defender and would give Villa by far the best competition at right-back they have had for a long time. Whether a deal can be done that suits all parties is a different matter.
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