The international break might well have come at the best possible time for Aston Villa.
After all, their opening results back in the Premier League this season have been nothing short of abysmal, with a seriously worrying 3-0 defeat last time out to Crystal Palace leaving them without a win from their first three league clashes.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts
On top of giving the Villans some room to assess after a poor start, the break has also given Unai Emery apt time to be at the training ground and work out where new recruits Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho fit in.
Having both arrived through the door on deadline day, the Spaniard will be praying that both the loan signings can be positive influences moving forward that lift his out-of-sorts side from their current malaise.
What Elliott & Sancho can offer Villa
Despite arriving in the Midlands as loanees initially, it's safe to say both Elliott and Sancho are already well-versed in the challenges of the Premier League.
The midfield duo can boast 184 top-flight appearances between them in England, with Sancho just fresh off another loan stint himself with Chelsea, away from parent side Manchester United.
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The reserve Red Devils figure came into his own at Stamford Bridge, with a promising seven goal contributions coming his way from 34 league appearances for Enzo Maresca's Blues.
As another temporary option for Emery to call upon down the wings, Sancho could well go down as a shrewd acquisition, considering his transfer valuation, as per Football Transfers, stands at £27m.
Elliott may also be capable of the spectacular, scoring a crucial goal in the Champions League against PSG and firing home against Brighton towards the end of the campaign. However, his quality wasn't enough to convince Arne Slot he deserved more game time, with only two starts afforded to him by the Dutchman in the league throughout 2024/25.
While he has often been utilised as an impact substitute at Anfield, the 22-year-old will surely be capable of offering even more quality to the Villa attack alongside Sancho, with the £33m-rated star up to 15 Premier League goal contributions himself.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
While Sancho and Elliott will no doubt become key figures in the team at some point this season, Emery already has one dependable figure who's worth more than the summer signings.
The Villa "monster" worth more than Elliott & Sancho
Despite experiencing such a slow start out of the blocks, Emery and Co can still flex some expensive assets in their camp.
Villa were fortunate to keep both Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers around past the chaotic transfer window, with Rogers' value increasing all the way up to a jaw-dropping £99m, according to the CIES Football Observatory, amid interest in his services from Sancho's parent employers.
Highest valued players in the Premier League (timeless)
Boubacar Kamara has also undergone a similar transformation at Villa Park, with the French midfielder's valuation continuing to soar, having initially joined the West Midlands club on a free transfer.
The energetic 25-year-old has been a regular presence in the Villa treatment room since he left his native France behind in 2022 - with a hamstring concern already derailing his 2024/25 season - but he has consistently shone at the heart of Emery's midfield when fit, having even been branded a "monster" by Sky Sports' Adam Bate for his tenacity centrally.
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Indeed, his fierce, battling nature was clear for all to see on the opening day of the Premier League, with a whopping ten duels won in total as Villa and Newcastle United played out a tense stalemate.
Emery's men arguably lacked this same bite against Palace with Kamara missing, with his assured nature on the ball - which saw him average an 89% pass accuracy last season in the league - further bolstering the argument that he's a guaranteed starter when injury niggles aren't shackling him.
Kamara's rising value at Villa
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Sourced by Football Transfers
Off the back of being consistently dependable when fit, Kamara's value now stands out at a mightily impressive £48m, which is more than both Elliott and Sancho, despite considerable fanfare greeting their arrivals.
While these new additions will undoubtedly boost a goal-shy Villa outfit, it could be that Kamara's eventual return from injury empowers Emery's downbeat side even more, having been a stable glue for the Villans for many a season now.