We might have only just caught our breath from the summer transfer window, but in the modern world of football, you are never too far away from the next transfer circus.

And so, with the January window just around the corner, Football FanCast has gathered some of the latest rumours concerning the potential incomings and outgoing at Aston Villa.

Who did Aston Villa sign this summer?

It was a mightily impressive 2022/23 campaign for Emery's side, who were able to secure themselves a spot in the Europa Conference League for this season.

On the back of their excellent season, the club have looked to bolster their squad for their European adventure with some big-money purchases.

Indeed, Villa have spent significantly on two players, in particular, with Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres arriving over recent weeks.

However, they have also been able to sign Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free from former Premier League side Leicester City, which, given Arsenal's interest in the 26-year-old last summer, looks to be a brilliant signing.

The Claret and Blue haven't just improved their team with permanent signings, though, as the arrivals of former Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo from Galatasaray and Clement Lenglet from Barcelona represent shrewd acquisitions from Emery and his staff.

With their additions this summer and the opportunity to win some European silverware, this promises to be an exciting season for the Villa faithful.

Who did Aston Villa sell this summer?

Villa have certainly made a splash in the transfer market this summer thanks to their impressive array of high-profile incomings. However, they have also been able to shift a number of players deemed surplus to requirements in this new Emery era.

Youth product Cameron Archer has fetched the Villans their most significant fee of the summer, with fellow Premier League side Sheffield United signing the 21-year-old for £18m late last week (27th August).

The young striker impressed on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough last season by scoring 11 goals in 20 games, and leaves the West Midlands outfit with four goals from 14 appearances.

Alongside Archer, the club have also allowed youth product Jaden Philogene to depart for Hull City, who outlaid £5m on his signature following a fruitful season-long loan spell at Cardiff last term.

Wesley Moraes and Marvelous Nakamba also left with the former joining Stoke City and the latter Luton Town respectively.

While the exact fees for the pair remain unclear at the moment, it is unlikely that Villa have made a profit on the £33m the two of them cost the club.

This summer has also seen 38-year-old Ashley Young call time on his second spell with the Birmingham side after making 53 appearances for the Lions since his return in June 2021.

The former England international has opted to join Sean Dyche's new-look Everton side this summer, leaving Villa on a free.

After spending the second half of last season on loan with Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, Morgan Sanson has once again made a temporary move to his home country, this time to play for Nice on the south coast.

Finally, the Claret and Blue have sent goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo on loan to League One side Exeter City for the season while releasing fellow keeper Jed Steer, who had been on the club's books for a decade.

Who could Villa sign in January?

Tammy Abraham - Roma: According to Italian publication Calciomercato.It (via Caught Offside) Aston Villa are one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham.

The report reveals that Villa, West Ham, and Fulham are all 'keen' on bringing the Englishman back to the Premier League and while there has been no mention of a fee as of yet, we can assume that the Italian side would want to at least cover the £34m they spent to sign him two years ago.

The 26-year-old had a mixed season last year, scoring just eight Serie A goals in 24 starts, compared to his 17 in 36 starts the season prior, per WhoScored.

The striker, who spent a fruitful period on loan at Villa, is currently sidelined through injury but is expected to return by the end of the year. Still, with Romelu Lukaku doing well in his place, he might fancy a return to Villa Park to challenge Ollie Watkins for a starting spot in a team currently on the up under Emery.

Crysencio Summerville - Leeds United: According to TeamTalk, Aston Villa are 'interested' in Leeds United star winger Crysencio Summerville.

The publication has revealed that the Peacocks attacker has been attracting a lot of interest from the Premier League this season for his impressive displays in the second tier, with Villa and West Ham United among the most interested sides.

Transfers expert Suleyman Ozturk certainly expects the tricky winger to leave, with him saying: "Clubs will come for him in January. Because they are looking for players who can make a difference. And he can.

"He is important with through passes, pulls two to three opponents with him and can play someone out."

While there is little talk of what his fee will be in the winter, we can safely assume it'll be more than £20m, as Leeds' CEO Angus Kinnear confirmed that they turned down offers of that amount for the player in the summer, meaning it will likely take more to pry him away from the Whites midway through a promotion campaign.

That said, based on his performances this season, he'd likely be well worth the outlay. In just nine Championship starts, the Dutchman has scored six goals, provided four assists, maintained a passing accuracy of 83%, won six Man of the Match awards, and averaged a match rating of 7.84, per WhoScored.

With numbers like those, it seems like he is ready to step up to the Premier League.

Geny Catamo - Sporting: According to BirminghamLive, Villa are monitoring the 22-year-old ahead of the January transfer window but face Premier League competition.

Catamo has made eight league appearances for Sporting this season, as they sit at the summit of the table, though seven of those have come as a substitute.

The Mozambique international is yet to get off the mark in Portugal's top flight but has registered four goal contributions across all competitions.

Despite playing a sporadic role in Rúben Amorim's side, the left-footed wide player is garnering interest from Fulham, who could rival the West Midlanders for his signature this winter.

With Sporting firmly in a title race, it remains to be seen whether they'll sanction a mid-season sale but The Villans could test their resolve.

Brahim Diaz - Real Madrid: The former Manchester City academy graduate is being linked with a return to the Premier League, with Villa and West Ham United both said to be interested.

Spanish outlet Sport, via BirminghamLive, claims that Madrid are willing to sell the Spanish winger and are demanding €20m (£17.4m) for his signature.

Diaz has spent the last three seasons on loan at Milan, where he made 124 appearances, netting 18 times whilst laying on 15 assists.

Following his first year in Italy's capital, he was awarded a senior cap for the Spanish national team and scored in a 4-0 victory against Lithuania. It remains his sole appearance for La Roja which perhaps evinces his stagnant development.

Villa could offer the 24-year-old a new lease of life in Janaury, but they'll have to fend off Europa League hopefuls West Ham in order to do so.

Pedro Gonçalves - Sporting: As reported by Record, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa are keen on signing the Sporting winger, who was a target in the summer.

Gonçalves, who has an €80m (£69.8m) release clause, has enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, registering four goal contributions in 10 games.

Though, the Portuguese club are ready to reject any forthcoming proposals as they are eager to keep hold of their prized assets for the remainder of the season.

Sporting will delay any interest in Gonçalves until next summer, with their prime focus on winning the league title, as they sit at the summit of the Primeira Liga Table, having won seven of their opening eight games.

Frederik Aursnes - Benfica: The Portuguese outlet, Record, further claims the Villans have identified the 18-cap Norway international as a potential January signing.

Benfica signed Aursnes from Feyenoord last summer for a reported fee worth €15m (£13m) and he impressed in his debut campaign for The Eagles, helping his side win the league title.

The 27-year-old operated across a number of different positions, playing in centre-midfield, left-midfield and even at right-back, evincing his versatility - which is an ever-increasingly popular trait nowadays.

Though, Unai Emery's team may have a tough gig in trying to convince Benfica to a mid-season sale, with the report claiming that they are ready to say 'no' should a proposal arrive at their desk.

Jonathan Rowe - Norwich City: According to TeamTalk, Aston Villa are among a number of Premier League clubs interested in Norwich City's exciting youngster Jonathan Rowe.

The publication has reported that to fend off the interest from these top-flight teams, the Canaries are 'ready to offer' the 20-year-old a 'bumper new contract' as soon as possible. There is no report on how much he might cost were the Villans to make an offer, but should he sign this new deal, he might become too expensive.

The youngster made his debut in the Premier League two years ago but has really made a name for himself at Carrow Road in the last few months. So far, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists in 12 appearances this season and averaged a match rating of 7.09, per WhoScored.

He certainly looks like a player worth gambling on, but with Crystal Palace, Brentford, Burnley, and Sheffield United all said to be interested as well, the Villans will have a lot of competition to deal with.

Nico Williams - Athletic Bilbao: The winger is attracting strong interest from the Villans, who will have to compete with Paris Saint-Germain and Brighton & Hove Albion for his signature, according to Spanish-based outlet Sport.

Williams' contract expires next summer and January could be the last opportunity for Bilbao to cash in on their youth product, who has laid on three assists in eight league outings this term, per WhoScored.

The 21-year-old made his senior debut with the Spanish national team last September and has now racked up 10 caps for Luis de la Fuente's side.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign the highly rated wide player, thus boosting the Villans' chances of securing his signature.

Unai Emery will of course be familiar with the youngster thanks to his time in La Liga with Villarreal, though he may have a tough pitch trying to convince him to join ahead of serial winners PSG.

Marcos Acuña - Sevilla: Aston Villa have been given a boost in their pursuit to sign the Sevilla left-back, who was on their summer shopping list.

The Argentinian reportedly agreed upon personal terms with Villa in August but the move failed to come to fruition after the two clubs failed to agree a transfer fee.

However, it now appears a move could be resurrected in January, as Vamos Sevilla released a report claiming he is hopeful of a departure in the winter transfer window.

Shortly after this story was published, further reports emerged from Spain (via Birmingham World) claiming that the Villans will 'try again' for the 31-year-old in the January transfer window, suggesting that the issue with the fee could be resolved.

Dani Ceballos - Real Madrid: Unai Emery has already attracted several high-profile players to Villa Park such as Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby, as well as one he has worked with previously in Pau Torres, so it is not surprising to hear that he is looking to land another star he has worked with before in Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos.

The report has come from Spanish outlet DefensaCentral, which has claimed that Villa would be willing to offer between €15m (£13m) and €18m (£16m) to land his signature - and even double the player's wage to win him over.

The 27-year-old played for Emery during his time at Arsenal, and although he never set the world on fire, he was a consistent performer for the Gunners, and when given the opportunity to play, he has been a good servant to Los Blancos.

With a severe reduction in his game time and the potential to double his wages, could Ceballos be tempted to join his old boss in the Midlands?

Who could leave Villa in January?

Douglas Luiz: According to Fabrizio Romano, the Brazilian midfielder is attracting interest from Arsenal ahead of the January transfer window, with the Gunners keen on revisiting a potential deal with the West Midlanders.

Mikel Arteta's side had multiple bids rejected for the former Manchester City man last September and they're thought to be monitoring his situation once more.

Luiz has made a promising start to the campaign, scoring an impressive five league goals and one assist in ten starts from the base of Villa's midfield.

Any forthcoming move would likely require a substantial sum of money and it won't be an easy deal to do mid-season. The Villians are flying high in the Premier League as they sit fifth, four points adrift of league leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

Luiz signed a contract extension last October, which runs through until 2026.

Clement Lenglet: As reported by Sport, via Sport Witness, summer arrival Clement Lenglet is going through a difficult spell at Villa Park.

Unai Emery was forced to sign the Barcelona defender on deadline day after Tyrone Mings picked up a significant knee injury in Villa's Premier League opener against Newcastle United.

Mings sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury just four days after his teammate Emiliano Buendia suffered the same fate and the pair have both undergone surgery and will be out for much of the season.

Despite Mings' injury, Lenglet has failed to gain the trust of his manager and hasn't made an appearance in the Premier League thus far, with his only three outings coming in the UEFA Conference League.

Barcelona are said to be 'irritated' by the situation and will monitor his game time over the coming weeks. The LaLiga outfit are concerned that his market value may drop whilst he remains sidelined and could terminate his loan agreement in January.

Barca reportedly have many options for Lenglet in the transfer market.

Youri Tielemans: The 26-year-old was the first of Aston Villa's high-profile signings this summer, joining on a free from the relegated Leicester City, but a report from Football Insider has suggested that he could be on his way out of the club as soon as January.

According to the publication, the Belgian has become frustrated at his lack of game time - he has yet to start a Premier League game - and has now fallen out with Unai Emery as a result.

This shouldn't come as a massive shock, however, as he voiced his displeasure at the situation during the last international break, saying:

"The situation is not pleasant. I told the manager that I came to Villa to play. He understands me, but at the moment, he prefers to play with the two midfielders from last season."

Losing a player of his calibre is obviously not ideal, but with how the club are playing at the moment, they might be better off getting rid of someone who could cause a scene.

Jhon Duran: The 19-year-old has already attracted a lot of interest from across the continent and could leave in the January window, per BirminghamLive.

The former Chicago Fire striker only joined the Villans in January, but following five impressive cameo appearances in the league this season and two goals, it looks like the club could have a battle to keep him in the Midlands.

That said, BirminghamLive has reported that the club have every intention of fighting to keep him and would reject any offers 'out of hand'.

How could Villa line up?

If Emery and Aston Villa can pull these signings off in the January window, how would that impact the first team? How would the Spaniard have his side line up for the rest of the season in an ideal world?

Well, were the former Arsenal boss to stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation that he has played in four of the club's first six Premier League matches, both Ceballos and Williams should expect to be making it into the lineup.

In Ceballos' case, he is versatile enough to play either as a central or defensive midfielder, and he even played as an attacking midfielder for the Gunners. While Williams has played more on the right-hand side, he has also played on the left plenty of times, increasing his chance of a starting spot among Emery's tactical options.

Both players could start in multiple positions for this Villa team and be used in numerous formations, making both deals seem like brilliant ideas.

Signing Sporting's Gonçalves would likely require a substantial fee, so it's hard to imagine the Portugal international on the bench.

Meanwhile, Aursnes's possible arrival at Villa Park could spell bad news for Tielemans, who has struggled to break into the starting eleven since joining from Leicester City in the summer. The Norwegian midfielder could supersede the Belgian in the pecking order.

Though, the likelihood of landing Aursnes or Gonçalves appears slim, with the two clubs insistent on keeping their key performers this winter.

Acuña's potential arrival would likely see him slot straight into the starting lineup at left-back.

Catamo and Diaz would provide fantastic depth out wide, though, they'll do well to break into Emery's starting XI, with his current regulars in marvellous form, winning four from their last five league games.

Perhaps the duo will get their opportunity in the Conference League, much like the summer arrival Tielemans.

Potential Aston Villa XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Acuña; Ceballos, Luiz; Williams, Diaby, McGinn; Watkins.