Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Red Star Belgrade fullback Kosta Nedeljkovic in a surprise January transfer swoop.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have won the race to sign Red Star Belgrade’s talented right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic in a deal worth around €9 million.
It has been a very quiet winter transfer window for Aston Villa, as they are yet to make a single breakthrough in the market, and half of January has already gone by.
Unai Emery has guided his team to a great first half of the season, with them now sitting in third place. Plenty of players have been linked to the club in recent weeks, with the bulk of them being attacking-minded. From Emile Smith Rowe to Paulo Dybala, there has been a strong emphasis on attackers.
Despite this, Villa appear to have struck a deal to sign a defensive player who will not be able to make an immediate impact on their fortunes this season, with them close to landing Red Star Belgrade teenager Kosta Nedeljkovic.
Talks are said to be in the final stages between both parties, and the Serbia Under-19 international looks set to agree on a five-year deal at Villa Park. The 18-year-old right-back is due to be loaned back to his current club for the rest of the season before joining up with Villa in the summer, while a 12 percent sell-on clause has also been inserted into the sale by Crvena Zvezda.
The 18-year-old, who is under contract in Belgrade until 2027, is a Red Star Academy graduate who made his senior debut for the club in August. He has since made 18 first-team appearances for Red Star in all competitions this season, including four outings in the Champions League group stage—one against reigning champions Manchester City in December.
Villa have been scouting right-backs for some time now, and Nedeljkovic is seen as a player with huge potential.
Although Nedeljkovic will not arrive at Villa Park until at least next season, fringe star Calum Chambers will still be allowed to leave the club despite being one of a few players capable of playing at right-back, as confirmed by boss Unai Emery in a press conference.
Matty Cash is currently the only natural right-back in the squad, while Ezri Konsa can also operate in that position if required. Furthermore, the club exercised their recall option on youngster Kaine Kesler-Hayden this weekend after a fruitful 24-appearance loan spell for Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.
