Kosta Nedeljkovic faces an important Aston Villa audition against Borussia Mönchengladbach as Unai Emery steps up his search for another right-back.
Villa complete their pre-season programme in Germany on Saturday, with the 20-year-old hoping for another opportunity to convince Emery that he can play a meaningful role this season.
The timing could hardly be more significant. talkSPORT reports that Villa have held talks with West Ham over Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is valued at around £25million after the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League.
Nedeljkovic has one final Aston Villa pre-season chance
Nedeljkovic returned to Villa this summer following another difficult loan spell at RB Leipzig.
The Serbian managed only five Bundesliga appearances and 252 league minutes last season, leaving his immediate future uncertain when he returned to Bodymoor Heath.
ReadAstonVilla previously looked at how Nedeljkovic’s return could force a major Matty Cash decision, with pre-season providing Emery with an opportunity to assess whether the youngster was ready to become a genuine Premier League option.
Saturday’s friendly now feels like another important stage in that assessment.
Villa face Gladbach at Borussia-Park at 2.30pm BST in their final warm-up match before attention turns completely towards the Premier League opener at Brighton. Aston Villa have confirmed that the fixture will also be shown live on VillaTV.
A strong performance would not necessarily stop Villa signing another defender, but it could strengthen Nedeljkovic’s argument for remaining around Emery’s squad.
£25m Wan-Bissaka move would transform the pecking order
Wan-Bissaka would represent a very different level of competition.
The 28-year-old has accumulated more than 230 Premier League appearances across Crystal Palace, Manchester United and West Ham. Villa are looking for greater competition behind Cash, according to talkSPORT, rather than simply adding another developmental option.
That creates an obvious question for Nedeljkovic.
If Villa retain Cash and spend around £25m on Wan-Bissaka, the route to meaningful minutes for a third specialist right-back becomes extremely narrow.
Another temporary move could then become more attractive, particularly after a season at Leipzig in which regular football proved difficult to find.
ReadAstonVilla raised the same question when Nedeljkovic first returned from Germany this summer. At that point, a strong pre-season appeared capable of establishing him as Cash’s deputy.
Villa entering talks for an experienced Premier League right-back suggests Emery still wants more certainty in the position.
Emery still has a decision to make
Nedeljkovic does possess qualities Villa can work with.
His pace and physical profile offer something different, while his age means there remains plenty of room for development. Keeping him would also give Emery an inexpensive squad option during another season containing domestic and European football.
The issue is opportunity.
Another campaign spent largely watching from the sidelines would do little for a defender approaching his 21st birthday.
Saturday therefore arrives at an intriguing moment.
Nedeljkovic cannot control whether Villa complete a deal for Wan-Bissaka or another target. He can make Emery’s decision considerably more difficult by showing against Gladbach that Villa already have a right-back worth trusting.
