--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-06-09T18:45:42.693Z last_updated: 2026-06-09T15:47:39+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/aston-villa/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmlybWluZ2hhbW1haWwuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvdHJhbnNmZXItbmV3cy9tYXJtb3VzaC1yYXNoZm9yZC14LWZhY3Rvci0tMzQwOTI5Njg --- # Marmoush, Rashford X factor & Delap - Aston Villa questions answered - **Source:** - **Published:** 9 Jun - **Club:** Aston Villa - **Original URL:** https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/marmoush-rashford-x-factor--34092968 As the summer transfer window begins to heat up, BirminghamLive’s Aston Villa reporter, John Townley, has been answering your questions. If you’d like to submit a question for our Claret & Blue podcast, simply fill out this form. Here are some of the answers Townley gave in this week’s Q&A, which you can also watch Dan Rolinson and Mat Kendrick discuss here. Why isn’t Liam Delap in the conversation? He feels like a natural successor to Ollie Watkins - out of favour at Chelsea (especially with Emegha arriving this summer), and likely wouldn’t cost a fortune. They only paid £30m for him, so his price has probably dropped. "Even if Delap could be picked up for less than £30 million, Villa have other areas to strengthen first. A firing Watkins is one of the top strikers in Europe, and Tammy Abraham scored two crucial goals last season - against Leeds and Sunderland. For me, it’s the creativity behind the strikers that needs improvement, whether Morgan Rogers stays or goes this summer. "If Delap came in, then Abraham would surely have to leave - but that seems unlikely, considering he only joined in January, was pursued by Unai Emery for months, and has recently had shoulder surgery." If you could bring back one random player from the past to play under Emery, who would it be? I don’t know why, but I like the idea of Nathan Baker. "If we’re talking about the last 20 years or so, James Milner would be high on that list. Versatile across several positions and a real workhorse - always available too - he’d be a huge asset to this team. Christian Benteke would thrive in any Villa side, as would Jack Grealish - though how Emery would use him would be fascinating. "Would Carney Chukwuemeka have stuck around and fulfilled his potential instead of making things harder for himself by joining Chelsea? We’ll never know, but Emery did give Jadon Philogene a couple of chances." Does selling Emiliano Buendía and bringing in Harry Wilson make sense to you? We’d get money from Buendía to reinvest, and Wilson could fill the backup role Buendía arguably should have. I don’t think there’s much difference in ability or wages, so it does make some sense. "After what Buendia produced last season, it’s hard to justify selling him. With only one year left on his deal and turning 30 in December, the fee wouldn’t be significant enough to make it worthwhile. He scored several crucial goals last term - against Arsenal, Feyenoord, Newcastle and others - not to mention his stunner to put Villa 2–0 up in the Europa League final. "Wilson is a great talent capable of moments of brilliance, but he might not fit exactly what Emery wants from a right winger. He’d have a role in the squad, but at 29, it might be better to look elsewhere rather than add to the wage bill." Who is your dream transfer target that could take Villa to another level? "Omar Marmoush. It’s ambitious and costly, but worth a try. This would likely only be possible if Rogers were to depart, but if he did, Villa would need X factor in the final third. Marmoush would bring top-level quality, as would Marcus Rashford. Manchester City will be open to a sale, but not cheaply, while Marmoush would also likely become one of - if not the - top earners at the club." Do you think Villa finally getting over the line and winning a trophy will ease the nervousness in the stadium during tense moments? It’s no secret Villa Park can go quiet when things get nervy. Will fans back the team more vocally, or will it stay the same? "Let’s see - only time will tell. What’s certain is that this group of players has answered criticism about failing to get over the line, after blowing Nottingham Forest away in the Europa League semi-final second leg and then overpowering Freiburg. Holding onto fourth place in the league was also a huge achievement. Whether that eases tension at Villa Park when things aren’t going well remains to be seen. Expectations have risen again, and it will be up to the players to meet them." Following on from the discussion about league position vs trophies - would you take 6th place next season and an FA Cup win? "It’s a tough one, but honestly, yes - I think I would. There’s a real chance Villa finish outside the top five next season, simply because balancing Champions League football is extremely difficult, and we know the constraints the club is operating under. Finishing sixth wouldn’t be a poor season, and it would mean five consecutive campaigns in Europe. Winning a trophy in back-to-back seasons would also be massive. That said, the main aim will still be to secure Champions League qualification again." Join our Aston Villa WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click on this link and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. It's a free service. 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