Aston Villa have emerged as serious contenders for Everton’s James Garner ahead of the summer window. Former Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Unai Emery wants to bolster his squad and sees the 25-year-old as a top target.
Villa have watched Garner all season, with their interest spiking after he earned his first senior England cap. While Garner recently signed a new deal at Goodison Park, the interest from Villa Park hasn’t cooled. However, Everton don’t want to sell, and Villa’s tight budget under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) could price them out depending on the final asking price.
“Interest in Garner certainly hasn’t gone away,” Brown told Football Insider.
“Aston Villa were spoken about when there was the possibility of him leaving Everton for free, and I’m told they were keeping an eye on the situation.
“Obviously, he ended up signing a new contract at Everton, but the interest is still there.
“They will have watched him closely when he played for England, and by all accounts, he was very impressive in that game and did well for himself.
“So when there’s a player like that, doing well for his club and doing well for England, Villa will feel he could make a difference on their side.
“It won’t be easy for them because Everton don’t want to lose him, so it could depend on the money involved and what Everton are asking for.
“We all know the situation Villa are in, so they could be priced out of a move, but Emery wants to add to his team and Garner would be a good option.”
Garner has been vital this season, playing 31 matches with two goals and six assists. He leads Everton in chances created (42), successful passes (1,193), and pass accuracy (87.7%). Defensively, he is averaging 4.4 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, and only three Premier League players have covered more ground than his 240.1 kilometres. Thomas Tuchel even dubbed him a mini Valverde after his England debut, proving his quality at the highest level.
Would Garner Actually Fix Aston Villa’s Problems?
This is the real question. Looking at Villa’s season, Garner looks less like a luxury and more like a fix for a structural mess. With Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, and Youri Tielemans all missing massive chunks of time, Villa lost over 4,325 league minutes from their midfield. They even had to bring Douglas Luiz back on loan from Juventus just to stay afloat.
Garner suits Emery’s needs perfectly. He isn’t a fair-weather playmaker; he leads Everton with 1.67 interceptions per game and works tirelessly to connect play. The Everton man is exactly the type of player who keeps a system running when stars are missing.
That said, he isn’t perfect. He isn’t an elite goal threat, as shown by his 1.94 expected goals (xG). For a club chasing European football, the debate is whether they should spend £35m–£40m on a reliable player rather than an incisive one.
Given that Aston Villa are also tracking Julian Brandt on a free and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, spending big on Garner might not be the smartest move. With Everton holding out for a high fee and Garner under contract until 2030, this story will likely generate plenty of summer heat but fizzle out before deadline day.
