Aston Villa are preparing for another huge season after returning to the Champions League under Unai Emery.
However, the club now want to strengthen the squad further after a historic campaign. Villa ended a 30-year wait for major silverware after winning the Europa League.
Meanwhile, the club also secured a top-four Premier League finish to confirm their place among Europe’s elite next season.
Emery now wants more quality and depth across the squad as Villa prepare for the demands of competing on multiple fronts.
Villa are also aware that several important players continue attracting strong interest from rival clubs across Europe.
Therefore, the recruitment team are already planning ahead for multiple scenarios this summer.
One player now moving towards the top of Villa’s shortlist is Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White.
According to Sports Boom, Aston Villa have identified Gibbs-White as a priority signing ahead of the new season.
The attacking midfielder enjoyed an outstanding 2025-26 campaign despite Nottingham Forest battling against relegation for large parts of the season.
Gibbs-White scored 18 goals and produced seven assists across all competitions while also helping Forest reach the Europa League semi-finals before losing to Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old now enters the final two years of his contract, which has increased speculation surrounding his future.
Forest remain determined to keep their captain. However, the club also understand the player wants Champions League football.
Forest previously removed a release clause from Gibbs-White’s contract after handing him improved terms last year.
This will now allow the club to demand a significant fee for their star playmaker.
Villa’s interest may also connect to uncertainty surrounding Morgan Rogers.
Arsenal are showing interest in both Gibbs-White and Rogers. The Villa midfielder is particularly linked with many top clubs.
So, Villa are now planning to hijack Arsenal’s move for Forest caption and also, ideally, keep their star attacker in the squad for the next season.
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