Aston Villa look to be in a great position in the Premier League, as Unai Emery's men attempt to strengthen their grip on a coveted top-four spot.
Indeed, it was a huge win for the West Midlands giants last time out, as they comfortably beat West Ham United 2-0 before the international break, as it means they have now opened up a sizeable four-point gap between themselves and Arne Slot's rocky Liverpool in fifth position.
Aston-Villa
There will still be many twists and turns ahead, no doubt, as the Premier League is a wildly unpredictable league, with Villa prone to a slip-up here and there, as well.
Hopefully, though, when all is said and done, a Champions League spot can be successfully clinched as Emery and Co then plan out their summer transfer activity.
Aston Villa join the race to sign Premier League star
The main talk of the town at the moment involving Villa's summer activity is the potential sale of Morgan Rogers to a Premier League rival.
Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers
Aduaciously tipped to be worth around the £100m region, which is the same jaw-dropping amount Villa sold Jack Grealish for to Manchester City, it will be intriguing to see if the likes of Manchester United or Arsenal are willing to splash this obscene amount of cash on the exciting England international.
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Reports seem to suggest that the Villans are looking at incoming signings in the midfield department, unsurprisingly, with Football Insider revealing that Emery's men are looking at Everton battler James Garner among other targets.
A race could well be on for Rogers' Three Lions teammate in the summer, with Football Insider previously revealing that Nottingham Forest are also keen on the lively 25-year-old, who was once a loanee at the City Ground.
james-garner
While he isn't similar to the in-demand Villa number 27, in terms of being a daring forward presence, Emery and Co could be about to seal themselves another Rogers-style deal if they successfully snap up Garner.
Why Garner could be Rogers 2.0 at Aston Villa
Rogers has had to be patient for his moment in the spotlight.
His Premier League debut wouldn't come about until he was 21 years of age, as he was never gifted these senior chances on the books of Manchester City.
Safe to say, he hasn't looked back since, with 36 goal contributions in the Premier League now next to his name, leading to the shouts that he is an "unstoppable" threat on his day, by Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher.
Garner has had to take the scenic route, too, to get where he is today, with only seven senior opportunities coming his way at the Red Devils before he waved goodbye to Old Trafford for good in 2022, after a formative loan experience at Forest.
james-garner-everton
At Everton, the energetic 25-year-old has managed to turn himself into a genuine Premier League star, much like Rogers. Now a stern midfield warrior, making a sprightly 4.9 ball recoveries won per Premier League game this season, that hard-working nature is also backed up by him winning 5.2 duels per match.
To add context, Amadou Onana - who has been dubbed as "world-class" at Villa Park by Premier League analyst Raj Chohan - has only won five duels per game, with Garner ready to be taken to that next level in the West Midlands, like Rogers once was.
Garner's Premier League numbers (25/26)
Stat (* = per game)
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Big chances created
Ball recoveries*
Total duels won
He has become an impactful source of goals and assists, too, with two goals and six assists in his back pocket this season for the determined Toffees in league action, resulting in David Moyes heralding the two-time England international as "one of the Premier League's best."
With the international break also seeing him complete four key passes for Thomas Tuchel's men against Uruguay, alongside winning six duels, to show off his varied game, it's clear that Garner could become another £100m-level talent for Villa, much like Rogers' stunning ascent.
Emery and Co. will have a fight on their hands to try to land the rising star, but it looks like a fight that will be worth scrapping for if Garner goes on to be a hero of Rogers' stature at Villa Park.
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