TEAMtalk can exclusively report that Aston Villa is about to finalize their first deal of the January season when teenager Kosta Nedeljkovic is expected to leave Red Star Belgrade.
Under Unai Emery, Aston Villa has become the surprise package of the current Premier League season and is hoping to make it into the Champions League for the next year.
The team, which is now tied for third place in the standings with Manchester City and only two points behind leaders Liverpool, is eager to add to its roster and is set to sign Nedeljkovic as their first player of the January transfer window.
According to sources close to TEAMtalk, the 18-year-old Serbian right-back has agreed to personal terms with Villa and is expected to join the team in a deal valued at £6.8 million.
Nedeljkovic is prepared to go and finish his transfer to the Premier League; an official statement confirming the agreement is anticipated soon.
Villa bringing in elite players from Serbia
The youthful full-back, who is highly regarded, has had an amazing season for Red Star Belgrade, emerging as a main player and a fan favorite.
At every level, he has received caps for his nation; most recently, he played for the Serbian under-19s. This season, he has made 18 appearances for Red Star, recording two assists and securing a significant transfer.
Major European clubs were interested in signing Nedeljkovic because to his performances for Red Star, but Aston Villa prevailed over several other teams to sign him.
Giants in Serie A Juventus was eager to get the young player to Italy, but they lost out to the Serbians who were eager to get to the Premier League, which is thought to be the greatest league in the world.
Nedeljkovic was awarded a new contract in July that would last until the summer of 2027 after coming through the Red Star youth system. This was to make sure his boyhood team got the best deal possible, even though it was already known he wouldn’t be staying long.
Under former Sevilla and Roma sports director Monchi, who was appointed last summer, Villa will be pleased to sign their first winter addition. Monchi’s job is to make sure that the team’s run into the top four this season is not an anomaly.
Villa has made incredible strides since Emery’s appointment in October 2022, and they are desperate to maintain their position as one of the top teams in the Premier League.
