Nakamba up for grabs

WARRIORS midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has been listed among five players that Aston Villa is likely to sell to raise a transfer kity in January.

British newspaper Birmingham Mail reports that despite a move failing to materialise in the just-ended summer transfer window, Nakamba who was signed for £11 million by Villa in 2019, is likely to be sold in the next.

Villa netted £100 million from sale of Jack Grealish to reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City but used up £95 million after bringing in Emiliano Buendia, Ashley Young, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings.

The club is believed to be looking to strengthen its midfield and Nakamba could be sacrificed.

"Marvelous Nakamba was signed for £11 million in the summer of 2019 as Villa assembled their first Premier League squad for three seasons following a successful play-off campaign in the 2018/19 Championship season. Nakamba has since played 44 Premier League games for Villa over the course of the last two seasons, and the start of this campaign. He started in Villa's opening day 3-2 loss against Watford at Vicarage Road, before playing half an hour against Brentford last time out," Birmingham Mail reported yesterday.

The report adds that: "There were reports linking the midfielder away from Villa Park over the course of the summer, with Everton and Crystal Palace interested in making moves for the Zimbabwean before the close of the window. However, while a move didn't materialise, Villa could look to sell Nakamba to fund other midfield targets in transfer windows to come, with Villa being linked to a whole host of players in Nakamba's position over the past few months."

Other players that have been listed together with the Warriors star are centre-back Kortney Hause, who is said to have "fallen down (Dean) Smith's pecking order," right-back Frederick Guilbert from France, strikers Anwar El Ghazi from the Netherlands and Keinan Davis.

Meanwhile, Villa take on Chelsea in a league match today at Stamford Bridge without goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Buendia, who return from national duty for Argentina  as they have to quarantine for 10 days as per COVID-19 protocols.

Villa released the duo to Argentina but would not release Nakamba to Zimbabwe.

Chelsea blocked Thiago Silva from travelling to Brazil for national assignment and he is not likely to play for The Blues after Fifa invoked a five-match ban on the use of players that EPL clubs refused to release to Brazil.

The affected teams are Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Leeds for Silva, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Allison Becker, Gabriel Jesus, Ederson and Raphinha.

Nothing has been said about Nakamba, who was also barred from travelling.