Unai Emery has rejuvenated the Villans after taking over the reins from Steven Gerrard last November. The Spaniard guided them to a 7th place finish last season, in spite of Villa withering at the lower end of the table before his takeover. They finished the season with 18 wins and seven draws under Emery, which meant being satisfied with playing in the Europa Conference League for the 23/24 season.
Emery, being aware of how demanding and physical the premier league is, having experienced it prior while at the Helm for Arsenal, wasted no time in the off season to beef his squad up. As such, Villa has “tested the ground” with Sofyan Amrabat according to Viola News (via Sport Witness), who is likely to be offloaded by Fiorentina.
The Morrocan ace has only a year left in his contract with the Italian side, making it the last opportunity for them to get a substantial sum in the range of £25 million for the midfielder. The signing won’t be straightforward, as both Manchester United and Liverpool are also in the mix.
Speaking of midfielders, Emery has a “possible Premier League solution” for Juventus playmaker Denis Zakaria according to Italian outlet La Gazetta dello Sport. The former Chelsea loanee could provide more depth at Villa Park, combined with his experience in the Premier League.
Zakaria would get an opportunity to redeem himself if signed, who had a less than satisfactory stint in England the first time around. The Italian side are seeking a fee in the region of £15 million.
The Swiss international could be “paired up” with Ivorian Franck Kessié, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, as Barcelona has put him up on the chopping block, and the midfielder has indicated England to be his next destination in lieu of their decision. He would be a lucrative signing as Barcelona expect to cash in big with his departure.
This wouldn’t deter Emery, as he is determined to build a formidable side capable of performing well in all competitions, and the owners have also shown their support by loosening the purse strings. This is evident as the Villans have also been “linked” to Giovani Lo Celso from Tottenham according to sportsmole.co.uk.
After his loan spell at Villarreal, he is back at Spurs, but they don’t seem to count him in their plans for next season, in spite of spending over £42 million on him in 2020. Therefore, making a swoop for him would be a good decision, as Emery seems quite “excited” about the 27-year-old Argentine attacker.
Moreover, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also seems to have garnered some “interest” according to Sky Sports after making his exit from Anfield earlier this summer. The 29-year-old still has some gas left in the tank, and can be a versatile free signing for Aston Villa.
All these in conjunction with Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans will make Villa a force to reckon with in any competition.
It has been an exciting summer at Villa Park full of changes, which also included the appointment of Ramón Rodriguez Verdejo ‘MONCHI’ as the Club’s new President of Football Operations. Monchi had a prior collaboration with Emery at Sevilla FC in Spain. Moreover, Under Monchi’s direction, Sevilla FC won the Europa League seven times, the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) twice and the European Super Cup.
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