Aston Villa wasted little time in securing the signing of Youri Tielemans last summer, and it proved to be another smart addition from Unai Emery.
The 27-year-old was announced as a Villa player on June 10 last year as he arrived on a free transfer, and while some were perhaps hoping for a more high-profile addition as we continued to gain momentum following Emery’s appointment the previous October, it has turned out to be another excellent signing by the club.
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Tielemans made 46 appearances last season, scoring three goals and providing seven assists in those outings, while he ended the campaign with a pass completion rate of 85 percent, 65 percent shooting accuracy and 51 percent of his tackles won.
As with many of our key players over the past year, his season was frustratingly disrupted by injuries at important moments as he just appeared to be reaching his peak, but still, he made a vital contribution to our campaign as we successfully secured fourth place in the Premier League table and qualified for the Champions League.
Absences elsewhere due to injury and suspension also forced Tielemans to show flexibility and versatility to play in different roles and positions across our midfield, and so he has proven himself to be a fundamental player in Emery’s squad and has shown that he was an astute piece of business from Villa.
It didn’t start particularly well though when we cast our minds back to the early months of the season, as a lack of playing time and misinterpreted quotes whilst on international duty raised some eyebrows and doubts, while playing in a wider role on the left side of the midfield didn’t suit him nor help his situation.
However, it didn’t take long for those concerns to dissipate, as when given an opportunity to impress in his more natural roles, Tielemans was a key component to how Emery wanted us to play.
His technical ability, composure, vision and passing range ensured he was fundamental to how we played with rhythm and fluidity, as he broke the lines, found pockets of space to dictate and be decisive in our build-up play, and crucially, he gave us that all-important control that Emery demands.
Tielemans also showed tenacity and grit when required too as he was deployed in a less advanced midfield role at times, and although we had to limp over the line with a depleted squad, he was so important when returning to the side.
When we consider the other shrewd business moves we’ve made to construct this midfield given the fees involved, or absence of, when looking at John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz, Villa have done a brilliant job from a scouting and assessment perspective to bring in players suited to what we’re building.
We’ll hopefully see that extend into this summer as Emery continues to mould the squad into his own, but Tielemans, on a free, has proven to be an excellent move from the Spanish tactician and the club, and we’ll hopefully see him stay fit and become an even bigger influence next season.
