Aston Villa have officially moved into the next phase of the Modou Keba Cisse deal, with the defender’s move from LASK now active.
Villa announced the agreement for the Senegalese centre-back in July 2025, confirming he would join from LASK on a pre-contract agreement.
LASK’s own statement made the timeline clear. Cisse would stay in Linz for the 2025/26 season, then move to Villa on 1 July 2026.
The Premier League’s transfer page now lists Cisse as a Villa incoming from LASK, which moves the deal from future planning into active squad business.
Emery Gets Another Young Defensive Profile
The timing is useful for Unai Emery.
Villa’s recruitment has leaned into younger, high-upside defensive profiles. Cisse arrives with senior experience rather than coming straight from youth football.
LASK said the defender joined from Real Ávila in 2024. He made his professional debut in the Austrian Cup, then became a regular starter the following spring.
That gives Villa a young centre-back with a more rounded starting point.
ReadAstonVilla has already covered how Cisse’s progress in Austria made him one of Villa’s more interesting future arrivals. Now the move is no longer just one for the calendar.
At 1.91m, Cisse gives Emery another defender with the frame to handle Premier League duels. The immediate question is integration.
Villa already have established senior centre-backs, so pre-season should give the first clues. Cisse could stay around the first-team group, be eased through domestic cup minutes or be considered for another development loan.
For Villa, the attraction is clear. This is a low-risk long-term defensive bet arriving at a time when PSR pressure makes smarter squad-building essential.
