Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Levante defender Andres Garcia, according to Portuguese newspaper Record.

The report suggests Villa are among the clubs eyeing the versatile 21-year-old right-back, adding him to their list of potential January defensive targets.

After already securing Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund this week, Villa are keen to make further winter market additions.

Strengthening the right-back position has become a priority, and Garcia is now the latest target.

In addition to his right-back role, Garcia can also play as a centre-back. His impressive performances for Levante, where he has started every match this season in Spain’s second tier, scoring three goals and providing three assists, have caught the attention of clubs such as Sporting Lisbon, Real Betis, Sevilla, and Villa.

The young talent seems promising, but Villa must act quickly.

Garcia has a £10 million release clause, which could rise to £21 million if Levante secure promotion to La Liga. Sporting believe they can sign him for around £5.9 million this winter, a fee Villa should be able to meet.

However, Villa could also shift focus to other right-back options, with Fabrizio Romano recently reporting that the club may turn their attention to Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza.

Emery is keen on the 25-year-old Spanish defender, but no formal bid has been made yet. Mingueza has a £16.6 million release clause, and Villa would need to meet that amount to bring him to Villa Park.

While Garcia offers a more affordable option, Villa might ultimately need a player who can contribute immediately, making Mingueza a stronger choice.

Graeme Bailey reports that West Ham have made a new offer for the 20-year-old striker, surpassing the £30 million bid, plus a young player, they proposed during the summer transfer window [Fabrizio Romano].

Since his move to the London Stadium fell through, Duran has netted 12 goals in all competitions, while Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter have been left to rely on Niclas Fullkrug and Danny Ings.

Speaking live via talkSPORT [14 January, 4:37pm], Andy Goldstein said: “They offered £35million and Aston Villa wanted £40million, and now they’ve gone back going, ‘Do you remember that bid we put in?’

Bent simply said: “Yeah, it’s embarrassing,” as Goldstein continued: “Does Villa’s valuation of £60million feel a bit cheap? I think it does.

Bent replied: “Someone will pay it. If he continues at the rate he’s going, he’s looking really good. He had a bit of a malfunction against Newcastle, losing his head a bit after being sent off for studding someone in the back.

“Before that, he looked every bit as good of a player we thought he’d be. £60million is nothing – someone will pay that.”

West Ham United to finally strike deal for Jhon Duran?

Potter is urgently seeking a new striker before the winter transfer window closes next month, with Michail Antonio still recovering from a car crash and Fullkrug facing another injury setback.

Although Danny Ings remains in the squad, he struggled for appearances under Lopetegui and appears to have slipped down the pecking order, especially after the latest injury blow.

David Sullivan was willing to spend during the summer transfer window, bringing in several new players, but Duran wasn’t one of them.

For reasons that remain unclear, the Hammers didn’t budge by a few million to secure the talented striker’s signature, a decision that has faced heavy criticism from fans.

Even as a backup to Ollie Watkins, Duran has scored seven Premier League goals, despite starting only four of his 18 appearances, with five more goals in all competitions.

Tim Steidten must surely regret not finalizing the transfer last window.

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.