According to reports, Aston Villa are interested in Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, although he will not be available this month.

Since joining the German club in 2021, the 23-year-old has emerged as one of the top talents in his position, often playing more advanced in an attacking role as well, as after contributing nine goals and 11 assists in 48 appearances last season, he has already taken his tally to seven goals and ten assists in just 22 games this season.

Unsurprisingly, this has sparked rumours of interest from other clubs, including Villa, with the Athletic suggesting that Frimpong is a target as we look to enhance our right-back options.

While it is said in the story above that his price tag may prevent a deal from being completed during the January transfer window, Fabrizio Romano has stated that Leverkusen have no intention of moving one of their most essential players and valuable assets this month.

Given that the Bundesliga club is vying for major honours this season, they will be anxious to avoid any sales mid-season that could jeopardise their chances of success.

Furthermore, he adds that Frimpong’s €40 million release clause is not effective this month and will only be active in June, implying that a transfer is highly improbable in the coming weeks.

Since Unai Emery’s appointment, he has made it clear that we will only sign players who significantly improve our current squad, so it does not appear to be in keeping with his mentality and approach to the transfer market that we would rush and consider paying over the odds if Frimpong is indeed a top target.

In turn, we’ll have to wait until the summer to see if he’s a priority, but speculations say that the right-back position is one where we believe we can improve.

Calum Chambers can also play there, but his involvement has been severely limited due to uncertainty over his future at Villa Park, and it is believed that an upgrade in that department is required if we are to compete at the highest level on a consistent basis.

Taking those factors into account, signing a new right-back would make sense, assuming youngster Kaine Kesler-Hayden isn’t considered a viable long-term option, and given the level at which Frimpong has been consistently performing for some time now at Leverkusen, he would certainly be an exciting addition if we were able to sign him in the summer.