Aston Villa’s transfer activity since Unai Emery took charge of the club in October 2022 has been nothing short of remarkable.
During that time, the likes of Jhon Duran, Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Amadou Onana, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have all joined the Midlands side.
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A few years ago, these sorts of transfers would have been unthinkable. Now, thanks to Emery, not only are they possible, but transfers like this have become the norm.
With the summer window fast approaching, who will be the next big name to secure a move to the Midlands? Only time will tell.
Emery appears to be keeping a close watch on those currently playing in the Premier League, however, targeting a move for someone who could even be an upgrade on January arrival, Rashford...
Marcus Rashford's start to life at Aston Villa
It was clear that the Englishman wasn’t in Ruben Amorim’s plans at Manchester United, despite scoring in his first two league matches in charge.
A move to Villa was arguably the ideal chance for Rashford to prove his worth ahead of perhaps convincing the Portuguese manager that he has a future at Old Trafford. Or, that someone like Emery will take a chance and sign him permanently this summer.
The 27-year-old has yet to open his account for the Midlands side, but he has registered four assists, including two during a stunning display against Chelsea.
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Against the Blues, Rashford came off the bench for the second half, providing assists for Asensio to score twice in the 2-1 victory.
He also attempted four dribbles, succeeding with two, while creating two big chances, making three key passes and losing possession just five times throughout the second half.
Rashford is thriving under Emery, no doubt about it. With the likes of Asensio, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins in the same attack, Villa have been excellent at times.
The United loanee is approaching 28 years of age, however, and spending £40m on someone who might only have a year or two at their absolute peak might not be the best decision.
With that in mind, it is no surprise that the Villans are also considering other Premier League talents to bolster their attacking ranks next season...
Aston Villa targets Premier League winger
According to Caught Offside, Villa are battling Newcastle United in the chase for Bournemouth winger Dango Ouattara this summer.
FFC Header Transfer Focus
Transfer Focus
The Cherries could well cash in on one of their star players, with a fee of around €40m (£33.5m) looking like it could be enough to secure the signature of the Burkina Faso international.
Serie A sides Napoli and AC Milan are also keen on the player, and this could mean Emery will need to lead his side back into the Champions League next term if he wishes to add the winger to his squad.
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Of the January signings, both Rashford and Asensio are currently on loan. As alluded to previously, the former could be signed for around £40m this summer due to the option to buy clause being inserted as part of the deal.
There is no doubt the Englishman has impressed for Villa since arriving on deadline day, but he will turn 28 in October and might not have long left at his peak.
Ouattara, on the other hand, has only just turned 23, meaning he could be a better signing, certainly over the long term anyway.
Dango Ouattara could be an upgrade to Marcus Rashford
The 23-year-old has been with Bournemouth since the summer of 2022, but he has taken a few seasons to acclimatise to the Premier League.
Comparing Rashford and Ouattara's stats in the PL this season
Metric
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Successful dribbles per game
Shots per game
Total duels won per game
Stats via Sofascore
Indeed, across both 2022/23 and 2023/24, Quattara scored only twice in the top flight, along with recording just five assists for the club.
This season, however, he has been a different beast indeed. The winger has played 26 league games so far this term, scoring seven goals and providing four assists. Add in another two goals in the FA Cup at the time of writing, and it is clear to see why Emery wishes to sign him.
FFC in-text wider Rashford
Earlier this year, analyst Ben Mattinson heaped plenty of praise on the youngster, saying he was “one of the league’s most underrated players” following a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest in January.
This may have been the game which confirmed he is ready to take the next step up, attracting the attention of Villa and Newcastle among others.
In the Premier League this season, Ouattara has registered 11 goals and assists, 2.85 shots per 90, 55 shot-creating actions, 0.36 goal-creating actions per 90 and succeeds in 45.6% of his take-on attempts, proving how effective he has been going forwards.
Compare this to Rashford and it is evident who has been the better player in the top flight throughout 2024/25. The Englishman has registered seven goals and assists for both United and Villa while recording 1.75 shots per 90, 46 shot-creating actions, 0.31 goal-creating actions per 90 and succeeding with just 30.9% of his take-on attempts.
Ouattara has also created more big chances in the Premier League (eight vs nine) than the current Villa star, while also succeeding with more dribbles (one vs 0.9) per game than Rashford.
It has been an excellent season for the "incredible" starlet - as hailed by former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington - one that could be the springboard for a move to a club such as Villa soon, and with it, potential Champions League football.
They will have to splash the cash to secure his signature, but based on his displays since the start of the season, it could be money well spent. That’s a certainty.
unai-emery-saka-premier-league-arsenal-aston-villa Related
[Their very own Saka: Aston Villa racing Newcastle to sign "physical" winger](https://www.footballfancast.com/aston-villa-now-racing-newcastle-to-sign-dango-ouattara-in-33m-deal/ "Their very own Saka: Aston Villa racing Newcastle to sign "physical" winger")
He's impressed at times this season.