Unai Emery is finally ready to go on the attack in the transfer market
It’s the tin anniversary of Villa’s were relegation season from the Premier League, finishing dead last with Jordan Ayew as the top goalscorer with seven strikes, Brad Guzan sharing starts with Mark Bunn between the sticks and three different managers spending significant time in the dugout, illustrating how far the Villans have risen.
After surviving a PSR scare, several confirmed or pending big-name exits are set to free up cash for Emery to go on the offensive in the transfer market and if he hits all his targets, Villa could line up in this 4-2-3-1 by the start of September…
Aston Villa decision time in defence
Emi Martinez (£20m), Matty Cash (£16m), Ezri Konsa (£12m), Pau Torres (£35m), Lucas Digne (£25m)
Not too much to debate or explain initially here. Villa signed a new senior goalkeeper this summer and 34–year-old Marco Bizot will play the season opener in place of the suspended Emi Martinez, but with Manchester United turning their attention to Gianluigi Donnarumma in the transfer market, Emery retains his Yashin Trophy nominee.
Ezri Konsa is one of the first names on the team sheet and will look to stake his claim for a starting spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England team ahead of the World Cup, and next to him Matty Cash is demonstrably ahead of Andres Garcia in the pecking order.
Tyrone Mings won many hearts and minds with his handling of Mason Greenwood in preseason but it’s Pau Torres’ technical gifts that should prevail in Emery’s selection while expect Lucas DIgne and Ian Maatsen to rotate regularly - we’ve given the nod to the Frenchman for now.
Villa’s bargain midfield set to shine again
Boubacar Kamara (free), Youri Tielemans (free)
Not too much surprise here - Villa’s Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Season was superb last season and with two years remaining on his deal, expect Unai Emery to try and lock Tielemans down well into his 30s.
Alongside him, Boubacar Kamara was a force of nature as Villa’s premier enforcer last season and has already committed his long-term future to the club, much to the delight of the Villa faithful. Behind them Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are quality rotation options while John McGinn can fill in anywhere across the midfield five.
Aston Villa’s lethal potential front four post-Deadline Day
Morgan Rogers (£15m), Marco Asensio (£12.5m), Leandro Trossard (£18m), Ollie Watkins (£33m)
Club record goalscorer Ollie Watkins remains a Villan and so remains the focal point of Emery’s attack, though expect new boy Evann Guessand to play the Jhon Duran role and get plenty of playing time. £30m is what Aston Villa pay for a backup striker nowadays.
Things should look very different by the end of the window than against Newcastle, with Leon Bailey’s impending departure freeing up funds to bring Marco Asensio back to the Midlands. He’ll take the central role in the creative trio while Morgan Rogers shifts to the right, and on the left will either be McGinn or a new signing.
Donyell Malen remains an option too - he only started three games in claret and blue following his initial £19.4m move from Borussia Dortmund as he was somewhat swamped by the surprise late arrivals of Asensio and Rashford and couldn’t be registered in the Champions League. Expect a bigger role from the Dutch international especially after he impressed in preseason, before Asensio and Trossard take up more minutes.
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