An Aston Villa prospect has given honest thoughts on his future following the end of the season.
The club would not be blamed for holding blame towards the PGMOL and referee Thomas Bramall after big decisions went against them at Old Trafford, but unfortunately for Villa this was another very good season which just fell short of being an outstanding one. They reached the Champions League quarter-finals where they almost took finalists PSG to extra time, before reaching an FA Cup semi-final where they lost out to inspired winners Crystal Palace; and European qualification of any kind is nothing to be sniffed at considering where the club were before Unai Emery’s arrival.
Three consecutive years of European qualification in three seasons under Emery has reinstated the Villains as one of England’s most feared clubs, and they could well begin their Europa League campaign as tournament favourites given Emery’s history in the competition, which he has won four times as a manager. The club will continue their squad-building process over the summer, with decisions to be made on new signings in addition to the futures of players returning from loan spells elsewhere.
Enzo Barrenechea issues statement as he returns to Villa Park
Enzo Barrenechea is one such player who will soon return to Villa Park following the termination of a successful loan spell at Valencia in La Liga. Barrenechea celebrated his 24th birthday on May 22, and played his final game for Valencia the following day as they saw out the La Liga season with a 1-1 draw at Real Betis.
Following the result, Barrenechea took to social media to post a farewell message for the club’s supporters, which read: “My last game in this special shirt was a tough season, but with sacrifice, hard work, and the unconditional support of the fans, we were able to achieve our goal. This great club deserves to fight for important things. I have no doubt it will return to where it deserves to be. I thank my teammates, coaching staff, doctor, kit men, and everyone who works at this club. A special thanks to the fans, who made me feel their love from day one, and I will always hold that in my heart”.
Barrenechea will now return to Villa, whom he joined last summer from Juventus but has yet to play a competitive game for, and it remains to be seen whether he will be integrated into the first team by Emery or if the Argentine will depart once again.
Unai Emery has been impressed, but Barrenechea may hope for Valencia return
As reported last month, Barrenechea spoke of his hopes to return to La Liga at some point, emphasising in particular the love he had developed for Valencia during his loan spell. He said: “I fell in love with Valencia from the first day. I love everything about it, the club, the city, having my family, the way the people treat me, and that adds a lot. Hopefully at some point, if it has to be next year or whenever it has to be, I will stay in Spain.”
Whether his viewpoint has changed as his loan spell came to an end remains to be seen, but this is certainly one to watch this summer as Emery and the club hierarchy make a decision on the future of the highly-rated defensive midfielder.
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