Aston Villa may be overachieving under Unai Emery, but perhaps not to the extent you might think.
It is easy to look at their current position in the Premier League – seventh – and come to the conclusion that the former PSG, Valencia and Arsenal boss has worked miracles since replacing Steven Gerrard at the then-relegation threatened outfit late last year.
And, in a way, you would be right. Only a truly elite coach can preside over the sort of turnaround Emery has sparked at Villa Park. And it’s not merely a classic case of ‘new manager bounce’ either. Emery has Villa playing with a coherent, consistent game-plan, the sort of which can elevate individual players to all new levels.
A la Eddie Howe at Newcastle. Or Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton.
But the fact remains that, even before Emery’s arrival, this was a squad brimming with quality. They underachieved before they overachieved.
Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz. These are all players who should be competing for a spot in the Conference or Europa League. It’s just that, in Emery, Aston Villa have found a driver capable of handling a team with such horsepower, after predecessor Gerrard span out and slammed into the nearest lamp-post.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa revival continues
The prospect of Emery being joined in the Midlands by Mateu Alemany, meanwhile, will be cause for further exictement in England’s second city. Aston Villa have never lacked ambition in the transfer market under billionaire owners Wes Edens and Nayef Sawiris. But Alemany, who is reportedly close to arriving after two years as Barcelona’s director of football, will bring with him serious experience at the highest level, and a contact book larger than a Dostoyevsky novel (The Athletic).
It is no secret that Emery’s summer plans revolve around bringing in a number of players from La Liga having already brought in rampaging left-back Alex Moreno from Real Betis. La Liga is, after all, a division he knows well from his time at Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal.
And the presence Alemany, who also worked at the Mestalla before joining Barcelona in 2021, can only be a benefit to a coach who, according to The Athletic, is a big admirer of Athletic Bilbao speedster Nico Williams and Las Palmas wonderkid Alberto Moleiro, to name but two.
Livin’ La Liga loca
Williams, a Spain international who likens his game to that of Kylian Mbappe, has been one of this season’s breakthrough stars. A tally of nine goals and six assists have put to bed concerns over the 20-year-old’s end product. And he would represent an obvious upgrade on the limited Bertrand Traore and the frustrating Leon Bailey.
According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa were considering a bid for Real Betis forward Luiz Henrique in January, and he too could emerge as a top target this summer. Especially after Villa sent scouts to watch the Brazilian during Betis’ Europa League clash with Manchester United.
Villa’s interest in Henrique and Williams precedes the impending arrival of Alemany. But new claims, from talkSPORT, suggesting that Barcelona benchwarmer Ferran Torres is also now on their radar may suggest that Alemany is already impacting the club’s transfer strategy. Alemany, after all, was a central figure in Barcelona paying Manchester City £47 million for Torres 16 months ago; urging the Blaugrana to target the 23-year-old instead of Raheem Sterling (Diario Sport).
Torres, versatile enough to play anywhere across the frontline, has 15 goals in just 35 Spain caps. He could form a formidable front three with Watkins and Williams/Henrique. Barcelona may also be tempted to sell Torres for a loss, given their ongoing financial concerns.
Alemany may not be the only man arriving from Barcelona
Of course, much will depend on Aston Villa’s transfer budget, and how much Emery will be given to spend. But Villa have spent big in the past. They are likely to do so again; backing a manager who, many believe, can lead them into Europe.
Torres and Williams or Henrique would probably come to around £80 million; £40 million apiece.
Lee Kang-In, meanwhile, could be snapped up for as little as £16 million. Aston Villa, Cadena Ser report, are willing to trigger the release clause in his contract. The South Korea international, like Williams at Athletic, has taken his game to an all-new level of late. The set-piece specialist has six goals and five assists from central midfield. Kang would add depth to an engine room still reliant upon the form of John McGinn.
As for the aforementioned Moleiro, talks with La Liga leaders Barcelona have reportedly stalled. Could Alemany pick up where he left off at the Camp Nou and snatch the so-called ‘new Pedri’ from under the noses of his old employers?
Aston Villa could certainly offer Moleiro – who plays like Pedri and looks him too – the sort of regular first-team football that would perhaps not be on offer at the Camp Nou.
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