Aston Villa's Right-Back Search: Wan-Bissaka Top of the List

Unai Emery has drawn a thick red circle around one position this summer: right-back.

Aston Villa’s manager wants a squad that can fight on all fronts, and he knows that means serious competition for Matty Cash. According to reports, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has moved to the top of Villa’s shortlist, viewed inside the club as a defender whose strengths fit Emery’s demanding, shape-shifting back line.

Villa reset at right-back

Villa’s search has already taken a few hits. Early-window moves for alternatives stalled, including a proposed deal for Emerson Royal, now at Flamengo and formerly of Tottenham Hotspur. That pursuit never got close to completion, forcing Villa’s recruitment team to change course and sharpen their focus on Wan-Bissaka.

The need is clear. Emery is preparing for a season that includes Champions League football after last term’s Europa League triumph and a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. Depth is no luxury now; it’s a requirement.

Wan-Bissaka, 28, is seen as a near-ideal fit for that brief. His reputation as a lockdown one-on-one defender, his timing in the tackle, and his comfort in defensive duels all appeal to a manager who regularly tweaks formations and asks his full-backs to adapt on the fly.

West Ham’s slide opens a door

Circumstances at West Ham United have shifted dramatically. Relegation to the Championship has left the east London club facing a season outside the top flight for the first time since 2011-12. That drop has changed the landscape around several senior players, and Wan-Bissaka is understood to be among those the Hammers are prepared to let go for the right fee.

He featured 27 times in all competitions last season, registering three assists. On paper, that looks solid. In reality, his influence waned as the campaign reached its decisive stretch.

Wan-Bissaka started only two of West Ham’s final seven league matches, with Kyle Walker-Peters often preferred. For a player who arrived on a long-term contract and with serious pedigree, that late-season slide underlined how much his situation had cooled.

His deal at the London Stadium runs until 2031, a seven-year agreement signed when he joined from Manchester United in a £15 million move. Any buyer will have to navigate that valuation and contract length, but the transfer would mark a major shift in his fortunes after a stuttering end to the season.

International stock still rising

While his club form has fluctuated, Wan-Bissaka’s standing with DR Congo has gone in the opposite direction. He started all four of their matches at this summer’s World Cup, delivering the kind of composed, front-foot defending that first put him on Europe’s radar. Those performances drew the attention of scouts and reinforced the idea that, in the right setup, he can still operate at the highest level.

That “right setup” is exactly what Emery believes he can offer in Birmingham: a structured, aggressive side that spends long spells without the ball yet breaks quickly and asks its full-backs to defend big spaces with conviction.

Old Trafford pedigree

Before his move to West Ham, Wan-Bissaka built his reputation at Manchester United. Across five seasons at Old Trafford, he made 190 appearances and carved out a name as one of Europe’s most reliable one-on-one defenders.

He played his part in United’s recent trophy wins too, helping the club lift the EFL Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24. That experience in pressure matches, both domestically and in Europe, only adds to his appeal for a Villa side stepping back into the Champions League spotlight.

Now the equation is simple. Villa want a right-back who can raise the level, West Ham are open to a sale, and Wan-Bissaka needs a stage worthy of his defensive talent. The next move could define not just his career, but the shape of Emery’s back line in a season where margins at the top will be brutally thin.