Aston Villa will be hoping to put the transfer disasters of the past behind them now that Unai Emery has been appointed, however, they could be heading for another howler in January as a new update emerges.

What's the latest?

According to Chelsea journalist Simon Phillips, the London club are interested in signing Matty Cash this month.

As per the report, Chelsea are stepping up their pursuit of a right-back in January due to Reece James' injury troubles and a lack of depth in the position with Graham Potter interested in a shock move for the Aston Villa star.

Chukwuemeka repeat

Since joining the Villans in 2020 from Nottingham Forest, the Polish right-back has quickly established himself as one of the most consistent and reliable performers in the squad.

After tallying up 85 appearances for the Midlands outfit, Cash has scored four goals and delivered six assists proving that he is both potent in his attacking threat whilst being a solid defensive asset on the right flank.

Over 15 Premier League appearances this season alone, the £80k-per-week talent has completed 64% of his dribbles and tallied up an 85% pass completion rate in his own half, as well as averaging 53.3 touches, 1.3 interceptions, two tackles, 1.2 clearances and 3.6 duels won per game.

As a result, Chelsea's interest could be a huge threat to Emery's pursuit of vast improvement at Villa Park as the club could head for a repeat of the Carney Chukwuemeka sale which has seen the former Aston Villa teenager thrive at none other than Stamford Bridge since conceding defeat in the summer after failed contract talks.

The wonderkid was once hailed as the "best 16-year-old in the country" by Christian Purslow a few years ago and to lose him to the Blues was a huge blow despite his relative inexperience.

Thus, losing the 25-year-old Cash - who was hailed "exceptional" by Alex McLeish - to the same team would only rub further salt into the wounds of the transfer team at Villa Park.

Indeed, it would lead to another prospect that can play a key role in the future at Villa Park needing to be replaced and would prompt a much-needed serious financial investment to replace Cash's prowess in attack, which combined with his reliable defensive attributes won't be easy to come by.

With that being said, Emery must do everything he can to avoid another outgoing of a highly-rated member of the squad, especially ahead of the second half of the season when the Villarreal boss will be working hard to improve the performances on the pitch to achieve a comfortable finish at the end of the campaign.