Unai Emery’s controversial lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur may have cost Aston Villa Mandela Keita transfer
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Credit: Imago Wed 6 May 2026 18:30, UK Unai Emery controversially made a series of changes to his Aston Villa lineup on Sunday, which resulted in a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.The manager has rightly come under criticism for this decision, with questions now being asked about whether he can balance European and domestic football at Aston Villa.On paper, the Birmingham outfit should have cruised to a win, with Spurs fighting relegation in the Premier League.Now, with the three points pulling Tottenham out of the bottom three, it could give the club the advantage it needs in the race for Mandela Keita.The Parma midfielder has been linked to both clubs, but now Villa could miss out on the signing. 🔄 Aston Villa Transfer Update 🔄 Breaking news on signings, departures, and contract news from the Aston Villa boardroom. VISIT THE VILLA TRANSFER HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Mandela Keita could be Tottenham over Aston VillaAccording to Parma Today on 6 May, both Villa and Tottenham are eyeing Keita.While it is unclear who the frontrunner is at this stage, if Spurs were to be relegated, Villa would surely be the favourable option.Mandela Keita’s Serie A stats this seasonPer 90 minutesPassing accuracy 88.9%Successful dribbles0.85Duels won 63.2%Aerial duels won 64.3%Tackles2.17Recoveries4.73Keita has some solid stats this campaign.
Credit: FotmobYet, as it stands, Spurs are set to stay up, and could be given a clean slate in the Premier League next season.While Villa’s potential Champions League campaign could prove to be attractive, Tottenham’s traditional status among the Premier League’s elite clubs could prove to be more tempting, especially if he is offered more game time.As a result, Emery’s baffling decision to rotate the team might not have only lost the club three points, but also the signing of Keita.Who else are Aston Villa linked with?Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Aston Villa could sign Jonathan David this summer.However, this is dependent on whether Leeds United fail in their pursuit of Lois Openda.The two attackers have struggled at Juventus this season and have been heavily linked with exits.Nevertheless, the Italian giants want to avoid a complete rebuild of their frontline this summer, with Dusan Vlahovic also expected to depart on a free transfer.David has been a long-term target at Aston Villa, and was previously highly successful at Lille, where he netted 109 goals in 232 appearances.However, it remains to be seen if Villa can get the transfer over the line in the coming months as they look to improve the quality of their squad once more. 🦁 ASTON VILLA INSIDER UPDATE 🦁 Get the inside track on the Villa Park dugout, transfer strategy, player wages, and technical leadership at Bodymoor Heath. Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from Villa Park.