Aston Villa have agreed their third transfer of the summer in Sevilla defender Diego Carlos and are also interested in Calvin Bassey of Rangers, so how can their XI look next season?
Steven Gerrard has moved fast to strengthen the Villa Park ranks during his first off-season market at the Villans helm. The Birmingham natives negotiated a discounted £17m deal for Philippe Coutinho with Barcelona, having originally held a £33m option with his loan move.
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Then, just a day after the 2021/22 Premier League season ended with Aston Villa 14th, the claret-and-blue club added Boubacar Kamara in a free transfer from Marseille. The French holding midfielder will move to Birmingham once his contract with OM expires on June 30.
Aston Villa are interested in Bassey of Rangers following Carlos deal with Sevilla
Now, Gerrard has further improved his ranks at Villa Park with Aston Villa agreeing a £26m fee with Sevilla for Carlos. Yet their spending is far from finished, with Sky Sports reporting Aston Villa are also interested in signing Bassey, but Rangers are chasing a club-record fee.
A host of Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are tracking Bassey, but the Gers are loath to let the 22-year-old leave. So, the Ibrox hierarchy are chasing a Scottish-record £25m for the Nigerian, who would be open to holding talks with the Villans over a potential transfer.
Gerrard is a big admirer of Bassey from the Aston Villa manager’s spell as Rangers’ gaffer. He also convinced the versatile defender to move to Ibrox from Leicester City in 2020 for just £230k. Now, the Villans are keen to wrap up negotiations swiftly to ward off rival bids.
Bassey would strengthen Gerrard’s options at left-back and centre-half, with Aston Villa’s interest in the Rangers star’s potential transfer. He also offered six assists over 49 games in all competitions this term, and UEFA named him in the Europa League Team of the Season.
Any deal for the two-cap international to move to Birmingham is unlikely to be Gerrard’s last piece of business this summer, too. So, with that in mind and following Carlos, Kamara and Coutinho’s transfers, what could Aston Villa’s XI look like amid their interest in Bassey?
Emiliano Martinez (GK): Argentine stands behind new-look defence at Villa Park
Emiliano Martinez is set to stand behind a new-look defence at Villa Park next season after Gerrard’s transfer for Carlos. Aston Villa’s interest in raiding Rangers for Bassey should also add another new face to the Villans backline, which conceded 54 top-flight goals this term.
Gerrard and his predecessor Dean Smith selected Martinez to start between the sticks for 36 league fixtures this season. Over his outings, the Argentine additionally kept 11 clean sheets, which was enough for the 29-year-old to rank seventh in the Golden Glove race.
Matty Cash (RB): Aston Villa ward off Atletico Madrid interest with new contract
Gerrard could have faced a dilemma over his right-back next term, amid some uncertainty around Matty Cash’s future. The Sun reported back in February that Atletico Madrid were interested in Cash and that the Poland defender was keen on a £30-40m transfer to Spain.
Yet in April, the 24-year-old put an end to any debate surrounding his future by penning a new contract. Cash – who cost Aston Villa £14m rising to £16m after add-ons when joining from Nottingham Forest in September 2020 – is now tied down in claret-and-blue to 2027.
James Tarkowski (CB): Aston Villa interested in free transfer for former Burnley ace
Carlos and Bassey may prove to be two of, at least, three new defenders in Gerrard’s plans next term with Aston Villa also interested in a free transfer for James Tarkowski. Sky Sports report the Villans are in talks with the centre-half ahead of his contract at Burnley expiring.
Tarkowski will be a free agent from June 30, like Kamara, and is wanted among many top-flight clubs. The England international moving to Birmingham could see him take over the right-sided option in central defence in-between Carlos and Cash, with Martinez behind.
Diego Carlos (CB): Sevilla transfer ousts Tyrone Mings in Aston Villa defence
Carlos’ transfer from Sevilla and Aston Villa’s interest in Tarkowski will raise questions over Tyrone Mings’ future in claret-and-blue. The in-bound Brazilian starred on the left-hand of Julen Lopetegui’s centre-back pairing this season that kept La Liga’s best defensive record.
Sevilla only conceded 30 goals over their 38 Spanish top-flight fixtures, with Carlos starting in 34. Gerrard also stated in April, via The Guardian, he could strip Mings of the captaincy: “We are still working that out. I still won’t rule out the option of someone coming in.”
Calvin Bassey (LB): Aston Villa interested in Rangers raid for Gerrard reunion
Gerrard is likely interested in Aston Villa raiding Rangers to reunite with Bassey to improve his left-back options. While the Nigerian can and has impressed at centre-back, the Villans may have a host of options in Carlos, Tarkowski, Mings, Calum Chambers and Ezri Konsa.
Bassey also had a coming-of-age display at Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League this term after moving to left-back. After he originally started centrally, Richard Foster told BBC Sportsound: “Bassey has proved himself in this match with his quality and composure.”
Boubacar Kamara (CDM): In-bound Marseille man offers Gerrard his new anchor
Kamara will offer Gerrard his new midfield anchor once the Frenchman joins Aston Villa in a free transfer on July 1, following his contract with Marseille expiring. The 22-year-old can also offer the Villans a star defensive talent in their engine room for potentially a decade.
He has shown with Les Phoceens that he is a top ball-winning player after stepping out of a central defensive role. Kamara should now add a ferocious nature to the core at Villa Park with the OM product’s high pressing, reading of the game and strong ball retention ability.
John McGinn (CM): Scottish star guaranteed a starting role next season
John McGinn will head into the summer break knowing he is near-on guaranteed a starting role at Aston Villa next season. The Scotland star embodies everything Gerrard wants from his midfielders with his full-on commitment, while also occasionally captaining the Villans.
But Gerrard will hope the 27-year-old finds his touch in the final-third again next term, as McGinn struggled this season. After scoring three and creating two goals by December 5, the 44-cap dynamo failed to find the net and only created another two top-flight efforts.
Jacob Ramsey (CM): Aston Villa product no longer a rising star under Gerrard
Jacob Ramsey is no longer a rising star at Aston Villa but one of the main midfielders under Gerrard now. The 20-year-old started 29 of his 34 Premier League appearances this season and ended the campaign with six goals – enough to rank third in the Villans’ scoring charts.
The youngster’s strikes have often been top-draw goals, as well, like his spectacular efforts against Arsenal and Norwich City. And yet there is still much more to come from Ramsey in the coming seasons with Gerrard at the Aston Villa helm to mentor the England U21 gem.
Philippe Coutinho (RW): Barcelona arrival must now justify permanent transfer
Coutinho must now justify why Aston Villa sought to secure his permanent transfer from Barcelona next season. The Brazilian enjoyed a spirited start to his loan spell in claret-and-blue, but the 29-year-old’s influence regressed whilst the Villans struggled to get results.
The 68-cap maestro scored four goals and created three over his first eight Villans games. Yet Coutinho then went 10 without scoring or assisting until netting on the final day away to Manchester City. Over that period, he ghosted through some games as Villa won just twice.
Ollie Watkins (ST): Gerrard will ‘fight as hard as I need’ to keep star at Villa
Ollie Watkins enjoyed a somewhat mixed campaign, having occasionally struggled to lead the line at Villa Park this term. And yet the £28m former Brentford star ended the season with 11 Premier League goals as Aston Villa’s top scorer and only one with double figures.
Part of the issue for Watkins has been the England international struggling to adapt to the changing set-ups used by Smith and Gerrard to play with Danny Ings. So, Gerrard will now hope the 26-year-old finds greater consistency next season, having ruled out him leaving.
The Aston Villa boss has stated, via The Sun: “We love Ollie and really enjoy working with him. To take this club where we need to take it, we need goalscorers, we need top players and Ollie Watkins is a top player. I will fight as hard as I need to fight if it ever comes up.”
Lucas Digne (LW): New role for January arrival with Aston Villa interested in Bassey
Gerrard may need to find a new role for his £25m January arrival Lucas Digne with Aston Villa interested in signing Bassey from Rangers. Especially as the Frenchman has proven to be money well spent for the Villans with his attacking performances since leaving Everton.
Digne offered Villa an instant upgrade on Matt Targett at left-back and would expect a big role for many seasons. Yet Bassey’s arrival would offer Gerrard a greater defensive-minded option, and can allow Digne to play in a more advanced area on the left-flank at Villa Park.
The 28-year-old is not unaccustomed to playing in an advanced left-sided role after playing sporadically in midfield at Everton. From those areas, Gerrard could also see Digne provide assists more consistently, after creating three goals across his final five outings this season.
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