Aston Villa are set to confirm the signings of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ibrahim Mbaye today, with the summer transfer window closing at 11pm this evening. The two players will become the club's ninth and tenth signings of an extensive squad overhaul.
Both players were spotted in the Trinity Road Stand on Monday night as Villa lost 1-0 to Arsenal in their first home match of the new Premier League season. The pair are expected to be announced by the club before the deadline.
Summer squad overhaul continues
Villa have undergone a significant restructuring over the last two months, with Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins all departing. That represents more than half of the starting XI that played in the Europa League final.
Harwood-Bellis and Mbaye will follow Johan Manzambi, Alejandro Garnacho, Gomes, Matteo Ruggeri, Zion Suzuki, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Goretzka and Nicolas Jackson through the door at Villa Park.
Emery expects no further additions
Aside from the two players who will be confirmed as new signings today, Unai Emery does not expect any more incomings before the deadline hits tonight. The manager made his position clear after the defeat against Arsenal.
“I am not expecting more,” Emery said after the match. “Last year, we needed to do something. This year we have replaced the players that we had.”
Abraham stays, Bailey seeks move
Tammy Abraham is also due to remain at the club after turning down the opportunity to depart, Emery confirmed in his post-match press conference. The 28-year-old was of interest to Ipswich Town, who recently made a loan offer for the striker, but he wants to stay at Villa following his £18 million move from Besiktas back in January.
One player who does need to find a new club before the deadline is Leon Bailey. The winger has interest from a number of clubs, including Sevilla and Al Diriyah, but is yet to depart despite being surplus to requirements throughout the summer window.
There will also be youngsters who head out on loan, but apart from that, it's expected to be a relatively quiet deadline day for Villa, especially compared to last year when they signed three new players – Victor Lindelof, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott.
