Aston Villa Targets Aaron Wan-Bissaka for Right-Back Position
Unai Emery has circled one position in red ink this summer: right-back.
Aston Villa’s head coach wants depth and edge down that flank as he shapes a squad to cope with the strain of Champions League football and domestic demands. Matty Cash has been the established starter, but Emery wants serious competition, not just cover. On Villa’s shortlist, one name has pushed to the front – Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
According to The Athletic, the 28-year-old West Ham United defender has emerged as a leading target, viewed inside Villa as an ideal stylistic fit. His reputation as an elite one-on-one defender suits the tactical shifts Emery demands from his back four, especially in a team that often asks full-backs to defend vast spaces when they commit bodies forward.
Villa pivot to Wan-Bissaka after failed moves
Villa’s move towards Wan-Bissaka comes after other attempts to bolster the right side of defence stalled early in the window. A proposed deal for Flamengo’s Emerson Royal, the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back, never got off the ground. With that option fading, Villa’s recruitment team have turned firmly to alternative candidates, and Wan-Bissaka has quickly climbed the list.
The urgency is clear. Villa are not just planning for another strong Premier League campaign after last season’s fourth-place finish; they are bracing for the extra load of Champions League nights, off the back of their Europa League triumph. Emery wants a squad that can rotate without dropping standards, and right-back is one area he believes needs a sharper edge.
West Ham’s relegation opens the door
On the other side of the deal, West Ham’s situation has shifted dramatically. Relegation to the Championship for the first time since the 2011-12 season has forced a hard reset in east London. With second-tier football looming, the club are understood to be open to sanctioning Wan-Bissaka’s departure.
The defender featured 27 times in all competitions last season, chipping in with three assists, but his status faded as the campaign reached its decisive weeks. He started only two of West Ham’s final seven matches, often watching on as Kyle Walker-Peters took his place in the starting XI. For a player who arrived with a long contract and big expectations, the drop in minutes was stark.
Wan-Bissaka’s deal at the London Stadium runs until 2031 after he signed a seven-year contract when he joined from Manchester United in a £15 million move. Any transfer will not be cheap, and West Ham’s valuation remains high, yet the combination of relegation and his reduced role has created an opening that clubs like Villa are ready to explore.
International pedigree and Old Trafford legacy
While West Ham slid out of the Premier League, Wan-Bissaka’s stock on the international stage held firm. He started all four of DR Congo’s matches at this summer’s World Cup, delivering a series of strong displays that drew attention from scouts across Europe. His performances underlined what many already knew: in pure defensive duels, few full-backs relish the battle quite like him.
That reputation was forged at Manchester United, where he built a profile as one of Europe’s most reliable one-on-one defenders. Across five seasons at Old Trafford, he made 190 appearances and played a central role in sides that collected major domestic trophies, lifting the EFL Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24.
For Villa, the question is simple: can that same defensive steel, sharpened at Old Trafford and tested in a struggling West Ham side, become the foundation of a backline built to survive and thrive on multiple fronts?
If Emery gets his way, we may soon find out.
