The writing is on the wall for Anwar El-Ghazi and Trezeguet at Aston Villa, former Premier League hero Emile Heskey exclusively tells HITC.
While it would be unfair to describe Dean Smith’s ever-improving side as a ‘one man team’, the fact remains that it is Jack Grealish who makes Villa tick.
The modern-day ‘Captain Marvel’ appears to have magnets in his boots at times with almost every single attack either started or finished by the Birmingham-born number ten.
Both El-Ghazi and Trezeguet were signed on permanent deals last summer to ease the creative burden on Grealish’s shoulders, but it’s fair to say neither of the North African attackers have stood out consistently at Premier League level.
Trezeguet has produced the odd moment of match-winning brilliance, particularly in the EFL Cup semi-final and in that crucial 2-0 win against Crystal Palace in July.
The Egyptian’s end-product, however, is nowhere near the level required for a team looking to thrive, rather than just survive, in the big leagues.
The eternally frustrating El Ghazi, meanwhile, was left out of the matchday squad for Monday’s 3-0 win at Fulham.
And, after Villa invested around £50 million in signing Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins, Heskey is wondering whether two players who arrived under the Jesus Garcia Pitarch reign have a future in a new era.
“I think they probably served their time at Villa and probably need to move on,” Heskey says, warning El Ghazi and Trezeguet that they must ‘step up their game’ if they want to stay.
“Whether they’re happy to sit on the bench and be impact players (remains to be seen). I know, as footballers, we don’t want to be impact players. We want to be on the pitch 24/7.
“But, at this moment, they seem to be impact players rather than those who are going to make a difference.”
Watkins, signed in a club-record £28 million deal from Brentford, will be under pressure to thrive where Mbwana Samatta failed in the Midlands.
The Tanzanian joined Fenerbahce on loan last week after netting just one Premier League goal in half a season under Smith.
But Heskey, a man who led the line himself for Villa between 2009 to 2012, believes Samatta is not entirely to blame for his lack of productivity.
“You have to give him the ammunition to actually go and score and a lot of it was, the way Villa play, geared towards Jack (Grealish),” Heskey explains.
“When there is a forward, you’ve got to give him the ammunition and if you’re not getting it you’re probably not going to score. He probably wasn’t getting that on a consistent basis, so it was difficult.”
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