Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was a common topic of discussion as the club unveiled new signings Victor Lindelof, Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho on deadline day.
In addition to Marco Bizot and Evann Guessand who arrived earlier in the transfer window, Villa were able to add three more reinforcements on deadline day to give everyone a much-needed lift after a difficult start to the Premier League season.
READ MORE: Loan confirmed for talented Villa youngster in key phase of development
It’s hoped that all three will be able to play pivotal roles in helping us achieving our objectives this season as we’ll certainly need them all to contribute, and naturally they were all delighted to have completed their respective moves to Villa to being a fresh chapter in their careers.
While the draw of playing for Villa is one thing and we can offer Europa League football this season with the aspirations of winning trophies and qualifying for the Champions League moving forward, it’s clear that the influence and impact that Emery has on our new signings is fundamental to convincing them to join.
As with every new face added to the squad, the Basque coach was singled out for praise and for being a critical reason behind the decision to join Villa, and it was no different this week as Lindelof, Elliott and Sancho all spoke glowingly of him and how excited they are to play under him.
“We had a good talk a couple of days ago, and we just talked about the football and how he sees me as a player and what I can bring to the team,” Lindelof told VillaTV. “That as well was one of the things that made me want to come here, after that phone call. We had a good talk, and (I am) really looking forward to working under him.”
Elliott added: “I had a conversation with him and was blown away by the way he was towards me and how welcoming he was to me before I was an Aston Villa player. It made me want it a little bit more. He was very welcoming and what he had to say me before I was even a Villa player took my heart and it was feeling I had within myself that I wanted to be here and I wanted to play for him.
“I want to give my all for him as a coach and as a person for giving me trust and allowing me to come here to a massive club when he could have got many players around the world. The only way I can repay him is by working as hard as I can and leaving everything out on the pitch for him.”
Sancho also reiterated what his new teammates had to say: “When I spoke to the manager he gave me belief and confidence. He showed me the plan of what they want to achieve this year and it really inspired me.
“He definitely persuaded me, and I can’t wait to work under him.”
That’s the ideal attitude to hear from them as they’ll all be tasked with playing key roles in our progress this year, and so to buy in and be ready to give everything for the Villa boss will a solid foundation on which they can hopefully build and showcase their quality too.
While Lindelof will perhaps have a more limited role as competition and depth in defence, Elliott will no doubt hope to grow into a prominent role over time if he can impress and force his way up the pecking order. As for Sancho, he’s arguably got the most resting on his shoulders given he could be an ideal option on the left flank to give us a fresh dynamic in attack, and we’ll be desperately hoping that he can make this loan stint a success, much like former teammate Marcus Rashford did last season.
Want more Villa analysis? TalkVilla+ has now launched! Subscribe below for ad-free newsletters, exclusive articles and much more. The TalkVilla podcast is also now live, have a listen, and subscribe if you enjoy on Apple Podcasts or YouTube. UTV!