Chelsea forward Joao Felix is reportedly attracting interest from Aston Villa ahead of the closure of the January transfer window.
On Monday afternoon, reports emerged that Villa were preparing to instigate discussions with their Blues counterparts over a loan deal for Axel Disasi.
Priority is currently being placed on acquiring at least one new centre-back due to the sale of Diego Carlos and apparent knee injury suffered by Tyrone Mings.
Disasi is one of a number of backup squad players at Chelsea that have allegedly been made available for transfer for the right price, whether that be on a permanent or temporary basis.
According to the Daily Mail, Villa are also contemplating whether to push for the addition of Felix.
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Is a deal possible?
The report alleges that Villa are one of several teams who are monitoring Felix's situation with the Portugal international struggling for minutes in the Premier League.
Nine starts and 11 substitute outings have been made in all competitions, with Felix scoring seven goals, but just 364 minutes have been accumulated in England's top flight.
While the 25-year-old could earn regular starts if Chelsea go deep in the FA Cup and Conference League, the Portugal international is not viewed as first choice by Enzo Maresca.
Whether Villa can afford to sign Felix is another matter entirely. A permanent transfer is out of the question unless they facilitate a big-money sale before the February 3 deadline.
Chelsea paid in the region of £46m for Felix in the summer and will not be prepared to make a loss on his signature given the need to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability regulations.
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Would Felix earn regular minutes under Emery?
With Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran the standout front two in Emery's forward ranks, Felix would not be regarded as an option down the middle of the attack.
Donyell Malen has just been signed to compete with Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey in the number 10 role and wide areas respectively, with Emiliano Buendia seemingly in line to move to Bayer Leverkusen.
As a result of Emery using a 4-4-1-1 formation, Felix may not be used on either side of midfield, which would leave him to compete with Rogers in a creative role.
Given the England international's consistency and influential role, it is plausible to expect Felix to spend more time on the substitutes' bench if he were to move to Villa Park.
Darren Plant
