Aston Villa have eyes on the Champions League once again next season, especially after their thrilling run to the quarter-finals this season.
To do this, they need to win their last Premier League clash this afternoon and hope other results go their way.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery during a lap of honour after the match
Unai Emery is already looking at bolstering his squad for the challenges ahead. Could he be set to raid a team who were relegated from the top flight this season?
Aston Villa eye move for Southampton midfielder
While Emery has an excellent starting XI, adding some depth to his first-team squad is certainly a priority this summer.
According to journalist Alan Nixon, Villa now appear to have entered the race to sign midfielder Mateus Fernandes when the transfer window opens.
Southampton's Mateus Fernandes in action with Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic
He is also being courted by Leeds United and Crystal Palace, meaning Emery must act swiftly if he wishes to sign the youngster ahead of next season.
The player would likely cost Villa around £30m should they wish to bring him in this summer.
The Portuguese starlet would be a solid addition to the current squad at Villa Park, and he could turn out to be John McGinn 2.0 for the manager, especially with the pair sharing a similar style of play.
Mateus Fernandes could be a great signing for Aston Villa
McGinn has been with the Villans since the summer of 2018, helping take the club from the Championship back into the top flight and then into the Champions League.
The Scot has made nearly 300 appearances for the Midlands side, becoming an integral part of their progression in recent years under Emery, since his move to the club in the Championship.
With the club interested in signing Fernandes from the recently-relegated side, the Spaniard might well be signing a like-for-like player in the Saints’ starlet.
According to FBref, McGinn is the seventh-most comparable player to Fernandes in Europe’s top five leagues, which speaks to how similar they are in the middle of the park, particularly at Premier League level.
Furthermore, the pair have registered similar statistics over a range of metrics this season, including goals and assists (both five), shots per 90 (1.33 vs 1.21), shot-creating actions (both 76), percentage of dribblers challenged (50% vs 41.9%) and successful take-on percentage (45% vs 42.6%) domestically.
Comparing McGinn and Fernandes in the PL this season
Metric
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Total duels won per game
Key passes per game
Tackles per game
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese ace has, actually, scored more goals and created as many 'big chances' in the Premier League, despite playing in a dismal Southampton team.
Despite the Saints suffering relegation after a torrid season in the top flight, football talent scout Jacek Kulig was quick to praise Fernandes for his individual excellence, saying:
“20 years of age. Big talent. One of Southampton's players who could definitely stay in the EPL.”
Southampton's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring their first goal
With Villa, Leeds, and Palace all eyeing up a move for the youngster, he won't remain on the south coast for long. That much is certain.
According to WhoScored, both McGinn and Fernandes count dribbling as a major strength, which means they often end up in the final third and tend to get fouled more often than other players.
Emery could do with another midfielder who loves bombing into dangerous areas, allowing the likes of Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana to do the dirty work.
On paper, he looks like a wise investment indeed.
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