Unai Emery has confirmed that Aston Villa is nearing the completion of a £21 million deal to sign Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund.

The Netherlands international is set to join for an initial fee of £19 million, a move that will also facilitate Jaden Philogene’s transfer to Ipswich for £21 million.

Villa remains interested in further signings to bolster their squad for the second half of the season. However, Emery acknowledged that new additions would depend on player departures to ensure compliance with profit and sustainability regulations.

Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza is reportedly on Villa’s radar, though a potential transfer of Diego Carlos to Fenerbahce appears to be falling through.

“We are in the transfer window and we are trying to do some movements,” said Emery. “One of those movements is the possibility to sign Malen. In case Malen signs for us, it is close, we have to leave one player, which is Jaden [Philogene].

“We are alert and we want to always be ready to improve the squad with the players and, of course, sometimes some players want to leave us for different circumstances as well.

“We are moving forward with some circumstances like I am telling you from today until the last day of the window.

“If we are changing one player, Malen and Jaden, that’s the first. Maybe two or three players more, we can do another deal of some players leaving and some players joining us.”

Diego Carlos will miss Wednesday’s match against Everton due to injury. Ross Barkley (calf), John McGinn (hamstring), and Pau Torres (foot) are also sidelined.

Among the three, McGinn is the nearest to making a comeback but is expected to remain out for approximately another week.

Kai Havertz’s wife, Sophia, revealed the abusive messages she received on social media following Arsenal’s loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.

On Monday, she posted two updates on her Instagram story, including one in which someone threatened to “slaughter” her unborn baby.

Arsenal were eliminated from the cup after losing to United in a penalty shootout. Havertz, the German striker, missed a chance to secure the win at the Emirates Stadium when he fired over from a close range and later had his penalty saved during the shootout.

Sophia Havertz voiced her outrage over the vile abuse she faced after the match.

“For anyone to think it’s okay to write something like this is so shocking to me… I hope you are ashamed of yourself,” she posted.

In response to the threat to her baby, she posted: “I’m not sure what to even say but please guys be more respectful. We are better than this…”

Football authorities and law enforcement have been working to address online abuse directed at players.

Last year, the Football Association of England announced it was allocating approximately £25,000 ($32,000) to support police efforts in tackling such incidents during the European Championship.

During the 2021 Euros, England players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho faced racial abuse on social media after missing penalties in a shootout loss to Italy in the final.

FIFA, the global governing body, has implemented a Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) to safeguard players, teams, and officials from online harassment by ensuring their social media accounts remain free from hate.

According to SMPS, during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, 20% of the players were targeted with discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messages, with about half of these being anti-gay, sexual, or sexist in nature.

Aston Villa’s Duran, who has scored 12 goals in 26 appearances this season, has been on West Ham’s radar for quite some time.

Despite recently signing a new contract at Villa Park, rumors surrounding his future persist.

Paris Saint-Germain reportedly explored a swap deal involving the Colombian striker, whose potential has attracted interest from clubs across Europe.

Meanwhile, West Ham, eager to strengthen their attacking options this month, submitted a bid for Duran last week.

According to TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa rejected West Ham’s offer, which was significantly below their valuation.

While West Ham previously considered signing Duran in the summer but refused to exceed £30 million, their latest bid surpassed that amount.

However, it still fell far short of Villa’s demands, with the club reportedly valuing the 21-year-old at over £60 million.

Duran is keen to secure a role as a first-choice striker, making him open to a move away from Villa Park. He would be interested in joining West Ham and playing at the London Stadium.

In December, following a Champions League goal against RB Leipzig, Duran expressed his happiness at being a Villa player and acknowledged the healthy competition with Ollie Watkins. While this dynamic benefits the club, it may be less favorable for Duran’s personal ambitions behind the scenes.

Speaking in the wake of links away, Duran said: “I’m just happy to be here. I actually love the competition I have going with Ollie Watkins.

“When it’s my turn, I will step up, and hopefully I can score and help the team.”

Although Duran has scored seven Premier League goals for Aston Villa this season, he has only managed to secure four league starts.

If he were to move to East London, the Colombian would likely step in as Graham Potter’s first-choice striker, particularly with Niclas Fullkrug sidelined by an untimely injury.