Aston Villa have a squad filled with players who shone for the club in the Champions League and Premier League this season.
It's fair to say, though, that they haven’t been blessed with a natural, god-given talent since Jack Grealish departed in the summer of 2021.
Jack-Grealish
The Englishman worked his way up from academy starlet to first-team sensation before leaving for £100m four years ago.
Why Jack Grealish was so good at Aston Villa
The 2024/25 season may not have been his finest at Manchester City, notably left out of the squad by Pep Guardiola for their final match of the season. Yet, he is still 28 and has plenty of football left in him.
"Of course, Jack has to play. That's the truth. Jack is an unbelievable player that has to play football every three days. And it didn't happen this season, and last season neither. And he needs to do it with us, or another place. But that is a question for Jack, his agent, and the club. If he stays, we'll be fine, and he'll fight like he fought since day one to make a contribution." - Pep on Grealish.
During his spell with Villa, however, he was one of the finest talents in the country. He scored 32 goals and grabbed 43 assists across 213 matches, leading the club back to the Premier League in 2019.
As the years progressed, it became clear that Grealish was perhaps one of the finest academy graduates to play for the club. In his final season, the Englishman demonstrated his creative talents.
In just 26 top-flight games, he created 14 big chances for Villa, along with averaging an impressive 3.2 key passes and succeeding with 2.5 dribbles per game.
Jack Grealish's Aston Villa statistics
Season
2020/21
2019/20
2018/19
2017/18
2016/17
2015/16
2014/15
Via Transfermarkt
While Villa have gone from strength to strength under Unai Emery since 2022, the Spaniard must wish he had a talent like Grealish at his peak to utilise.
With the summer transfer window soon to open, can Emery sign the next best thing for the Midlands side?
Aston Villa could sign their new Grealish
The Villa Park side are showing plenty of interest in a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze after he enjoyed a stunning campaign.
This culminated with the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Man City and this has driven his price up. Indeed, the Englishman is wanted by the Villans and could cost around £65m according to reports, should any club wish to sign him this summer.
The fee would shatter Villa’s record transfer, but there is no doubt Eze would be worth the price.
In the Premier League this season, the 26-year-old averaged 1.7 key passes and succeeded with two dribbles per game. Furthermore, he even created 12 big chances for the Eagles.
These statistics are comparable to Grealish’s from his final league season at Villa, and it suggests Eze has the ability to become their new attacking sensation.
eberechi eze-1
Analyst Ben Mattinson lauded the midfielder as a “superstar” in April 2024. Fast-forward 12 months, and this sentiment certainly continues to ring true with the England international scoring 14 goals and supplying 11 assists during an outstanding season.
Couple that with the flashy and carefree nature that Grealish also exudes, and the Palace sensation with his extra end product certainly has the potential to eclipse what the current City star achieved in the Midlands.
The only stumbling block might be the fact that Eze wouldn't be playing Champions League football should he move to Villa. If he does, however, there is no doubt that the London-born dynamo can lead Emery’s side to another campaign in Europe’s premier club competition.
The next few weeks could be interesting, to say the least.
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