Aston Villa may not be playing Champions League football next season, but that hasn’t deterred Unai Emery from trying to sign high-profile players this summer.
Indeed, Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has been linked with a stunning move to the Midlands, while a potential move for Jack Grealish would surely satisfy the football romantics at Villa Park.
Manchester City's Jack Grealish on the substitutes bench
These two players would bolster the first-team squad, without a shadow of a doubt, and this is the type of player the club should be targeting.
Might Emery also be keen on raiding Liverpool for one of their young gems this summer? A move for a midfielder who didn’t enjoy the best of seasons under Arne Slot could be on the table.
Aston Villa could see bid accepted for Liverpool starlet
Harvey Elliott has been recently linked with a move to Villa this summer, and this could be a shrewd piece of business by the Spaniard.
Former Villa scout, Bryan King - speaking about that speculation - suggested that the Midlands side could potentially see a bid accepted of around £30m, should they wish to firm up their interest:
“He is a player who has come up through the system, and he’s a London boy; his parents are from London. Therefore, watch this space, a London-based club might also be interested in him. I’d imagine that Liverpool would accept £30m for Elliott, that is how much they’ll want."
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
In today's market, £30m could turn into a bargain, especially as he shares similar qualities to a certain Cole Palmer.
Why Aston Villa must sign Harvey Elliott
Palmer is arguably one of the finest English attacking midfielders in the country right now. During his two full seasons at Chelsea, he has registered 40 goals and 27 assists across just 91 matches.
This works out as a goal involvement every 1.3 matches for the Blues. Therefore, signing someone who exuded these sorts of skills, for a fraction of the price, should be high on Emery’s list of priorities.
Harvey Elliott's Liverpool statistics
Season
2024/25
2023/24
2022/23
2021/22
2019/20
Via Transfermarkt
Indeed, Palmer is the eighth-most comparable player to Elliott in Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, judging by their respective statistical profiles, with the pair both creative, left-footed playmakers who can operate centrally or on the right flank.
The pair have registered similar statistics across several metrics, including shots per 90 (4.12 vs 3.41), shots on target per 90 (0.97 vs 1.24), shot-creating actions per 90 (5.11 vs 5.7) and successful take-on percentage (44.4% vs 45.1%) in the Premier League last term.
Previously hailed as a “machine” for his tireless work rate by journalist Sam McGuire, it appears as though his spell at Anfield is coming to an end.
The midfielder started just eight of his 28 appearances for Liverpool last term, and with the signing of Florian Wirtz imminent, Elliott will be deemed surplus to requirements.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
This should put Emery on high alert, especially if he can secure his signature for the aforementioned £30m fee this summer.
The next few weeks could be interesting indeed for the Villa faithful as they wait and see who will arrive at the club.
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