Aston Villa have been advised to retain Kosta Nedeljkovic as cover for Matty Cash rather than spend £10 million on a new right-back, according to Claret & Blue's John Townley. The Serbian defender, who spent last season on loan at RB Leipzig, could save Villa significant funds for other priority positions.
Nedeljkovic's journey and current situation
The 20-year-old joined Villa from Crvena zvezda in the summer of 2024 but made only 10 appearances in his first half-season before being loaned to RB Leipzig. The Bundesliga side were impressed enough to bring him back for a second loan spell, yet they opted against activating their option to buy after his initial stint.
With Andres Garcia joining Getafe on loan earlier this summer, a potential opening has emerged for Nedeljkovic to establish himself in Unai Emery's squad. Townley believes Villa could avoid spending on a new right-back and instead trust the young defender until January.
The case for saving £10 million
"Could Villa save that £10 million they'd spend on Emerson Royal, along with the extra wages compared to Kosta Nedeljković, and simply get through until January? That's where I am on it," Townley said on Claret & Blue.
He drew parallels with the club's previous approach to strikers: "We said something similar with Donyell Malen last summer. I was more than happy for Ollie Watkins to be the only recognised number nine in the squad. Granted, Malen is now Roma's number nine, but when he was at Villa he wasn't really viewed that way. Watkins was the only established striker, and if he picked up an injury for a few games, you still had Malen as an option to get you through until January."
Townley acknowledged the busy fixture schedule but argued: "Even though Villa have a busy fixture schedule, you're only talking about half a season. I think you could probably manage. I feel the same way about right-back, although maybe that's influenced by the fact Matty Cash stayed fit for almost all of last season. We do have to remember that in previous campaigns he usually picked up a muscle injury at some stage and would miss a few weeks."
Is Nedeljkovic ready for the Premier League?
Townley cautioned against judging Nedeljkovic solely on pre-season friendlies: "The question is whether Nedeljković is ready for the Premier League. I'm certainly not going to judge that based on a game against the Indonesian All-Stars, because, with respect, the standard wasn't particularly high. Looking at the games against Walsall, Real Sociedad and Porto, I think he's done okay."
He added: "I'm not ready to say he's suddenly become a top Premier League right-back - I need to see that in competitive matches - but I wouldn't be against giving him the opportunity to be Cash's deputy. Not necessarily the outright backup, but someone who can fill in when needed."
Alternative options if Cash is injured
Townley highlighted other players who could cover: "If Cash was out for two or three weeks, for example, you've also got Konsa who can play there, Lindelöf can fill in, and at the moment Bogarde is another option. There are ways Villa could reshuffle things until January without spending £10 million."
He stressed that £10 million isn't huge in modern football, but other areas need attention: "That isn't a huge amount of money in modern football, even for Villa, but there are other priorities. They still need a right winger. If Villa's budget is as tight as people suggest, and it only stretches to, say, a left-back, midfielder and a right-winger, but not a new right-back, I'd be happy with that."
Trusting Nedeljkovic until January
Townley concluded: "I'd say bring those three players in and trust Nedeljković to get you through until January. He's a natural right-back, he's played for RB Leipzig - even if not regularly - and he's got experience at a decent level."
He acknowledged Emery's apparent lack of full trust: "I know Emery doesn't seem to fully trust him at the moment, and this doesn't have to be a long-term solution. But if he can get Villa through until January, then reassess the situation in the winter window if necessary."
Left-back and other priorities
Townley contrasted the right-back situation with left-back: "Left-back is a different story because, right now, Villa don't really have another apart from Ian Maatsen. Triston Rowe has actually done pretty well, to be fair, and maybe he earns an opportunity. I doubt it, though, because Emery has used Kosta Nedeljković ahead of him."
He added: "Right-back isn't perfect, but it feels like Villa at least have options behind Cash. At left-back there's virtually no depth, at right wing there's no depth beyond John McGinn, and after Amadou Onana’s injury, the holding midfield position would also need reinforcing. For those reasons, signing a right-back would be lower down my list of priorities."
