Having already made five summer signings, Monchi is certainly not holding back as Aston Villa get ready to take on Europe’s elite in the Champions League next season.
Improving the first team squad this summer will give Unai Emery the perfect chance to take the club to the next level in Europe while allowing them to maintain a spot in the top four of the Premier League table during the 2024/25 campaign.
It will be a difficult task, but if the Spaniard can recruit well across the remainder of the transfer window, then is possible for the club to continue their upward trajectory.
Could the Midlands side turn towards the Championship for their next potential signing? There is a current second-tier sensation who has been earmarked for a move to Villa this summer…
Aston Villa eye Championship superstar
According to Football Insider last week, Villa could be 'tempted' into making a bid for Leeds United starlet Crysencio Summerville after his displays in the second tier have caught the eye.
The Yorkshire side have placed a staggering £40m price tag on their prized asset in order to sell him this summer, which could fend off interest by several teams.
Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Brighton are also keen admirers of the winger, while Paris Saint-Germain could make a move for the Dutchman as they seek a replacement for Kylian Mbappé.
Having lost the playoff final last season, Summerville may wish to make a return to the Premier League rather than spend another season in the Championship. This could give Emery a solid chance of securing his signature, especially considering they are in the Champions League too.
Lewis Dobbin
Everton
Ross Barkley
Luton Town
Ian Maatsen
Chelsea
Samuel Iling-Junior
Juventus
Enzo Barrenechea
Juventus
Could he even be a better option to call upon than Moussa Diaby? The former Bayer Leverkusen gem struggled for consistent game time last season after his club-record-breaking move in the summer.
Moussa Diaby’s season in numbers
The Frenchman was one of the most interesting transfer stories from the 2023 summer transfer window. Diaby cost Villa £51.9m from Leverkusen as Emery delivered a massive statement of intent as to where he wanted the club to be at the of the season.
Having registered 97 goal contributions across just 172 games for the German side, the transfer was looked upon as one of the most impressive pieces of business conducted by a Premier League side last year.
Unfortunately, despite showing glimpses of his talents, Diaby was rather hit or miss with his form, scoring ten goals while grabbing nine assists in all competitions.
Among his teammates, Diaby ranked fourth for shots per game (1.4) in the top flight, along with ranking second for big chances missed (7), fourth for key passes per game (1.2) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (0.8), solid, but certainly not spectacular statistics during his maiden season in England.
He will be expected to hit the ground running at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, especially after having a year to settle into life in the Premier League.
If Emery does make a concrete move for Summerville, however, might the Dutchman be a better option on the flank than Diaby?
How Crysencio Summerville shone for Leeds
His positional flexibility could be a big bonus for the Midlands side. While he spent the majority of last season on the left wing, Summerville is equally adept at performing on the opposite flank if required.
In 49 matches for the Elland Road outfit, the 22-year-old scored a remarkable 21 goals while grabbing ten assists, ensuring he won the Championship Player of the Season award in April.
Journalist Jake Winderman even praised his “world-class” ability last October, and it is evident that a talent like his deserves to be playing in the Premier League.
Among his teammates last term, Summerville ranked first for goals and assists (28) in the second tier, along with ranking second for big chances created (17), first for key passes per game (2.6) and third for successful dribbles per game (2.3), showing just how much of an impact he had in the final third for the club.
How Summerville could be an upgrade on Diaby
When compared to his positional peers in leagues similar to the Championship, Summerville ranks in the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (6.59), the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90 (6.1) and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90 (5.04).
In comparison, Diaby ranks in the top 18% in Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions (3.31), the top 27% for touches in the attacking penalty area (5.63) and the top 5% for progressive carries (3.89) per 90 when compared to his own positional peers.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
While Diaby may have been compared to those in higher divisions, Summerville has outperformed him in a range of performance metrics in recent months.
The Leeds gem does have prior experience in the Premier League too, which could prove to be a major advantage for Emery. He has featured 34 times in the top flight for Leeds between 2021 and 2023, scoring four goals while registering two assists in the process.
If he moves to a club like Villa, where he should get plenty of chances in the starting XI, he will be able to carry on his form which saw him emerge as one of the most exciting wingers on the continent.
Splashing out £40m on the player could be a gamble, yet it is one that Emery should be intent on making if he has any ambitions of bolstering his attacking options ahead of next term.
It could pay off handsomely, as there is no doubt the winger can only get better, which could see his value increase as time goes on.
The next few weeks are an exciting time to be a Villa supporter, that’s for sure.
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