Aston Villa submit ‘formal offer’ to sign Real Madrid star as Emery ‘turns to’ Man City man

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·16. November 2025

Aston Villa submit ‘formal offer’ to sign Real Madrid star as Emery ‘turns to’ Man City man

According to reports, Aston Villa have submitted a ‘formal offer’ to Real Madrid, while they have ‘turned to’ a Manchester City star.

Aston Villa have had a rollercoaster six months since missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day of the 2024/25 campaign.

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This reduced their transfer budget as their activity in the market was limited in the summer, while Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez were linked with exits.

Unai Emery‘s side tried to salvage their dire summer in the final days of the summer as they signed Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, but they made a poor start to this season.

The Villans struggled in attack as they sat in the relegation zone at the start of this season, but they have returned to form in recent weeks as they have shot up to sixth in the Premier League table.

Villa could look to make up for their disappointing summer in the winter transfer window and boost their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League ahead of next season.

One of Aston Villa’s priorities will be to sign a new goalkeeper as Martinez is nearing the end of his career and Manchester United targeted him in the summer.

Now, a report from Football Insider claims Aston Villa have ‘turned to’ Man City star James Trafford, who looks ‘increasingly likely’ to leave Pep Guardiola’s side on loan or on a permanent deal next year.

Trafford returned to Man City in the summer but he was only their No.1 goalkeeper for a couple of weeks as he’s been replaced by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Therefore, Trafford could leave to increase his game time ahead of next summer’s World Cup, while Aston Villa are ‘keeping tabs’ on him.

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‘Villa see Trafford as a strong alternative to Martinez with the potential to replace him as the first-choice keeper at the club. ‘It is seen as increasingly likely, sources say, that Trafford will leave Man City next year, potentially on an initial loan.’

Aston Villa, according to Fichajes, are also said to have their eye on Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia, with the Spanish giants receiving ‘formal offers’ from the Villans, Sunderland and Wolves worth around 20 million euros.

The report claims:

‘Real Madrid has begun to move its transfer agenda after receiving several formal offers for Gonzalo García , one of the young gems that is generating the most interest in England. ‘The 21-year-old striker, who has excelled in the youth academy and in first-team training, has become a priority target for several Premier League clubs , opening up an unexpected scenario for Real Madrid.’