Aston Villa midfielder Enzo Barrenechea has revealed his delight over joining the club this summer, and has detailed what attracted him about the move.
The 23-year-old arrived from Juventus at the start of the month following Douglas Luiz’s move in the opposite direction, and although he faces significant competition for a starting berth in this Villa XI, he will certainly stake his claim to play an important role for Unai Emery having had trust and faith shown in him to bring him to the club.
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Barrenechea has looked impressive in his two pre-season run-outs thus far, but naturally given the level of the opposition and the stage in which we’re in with regards to our preparations for the new campaign, he’ll certainly face tougher tests and be asked more questions in the coming weeks and months.
Nevertheless, what is critical at this early point is to look for common trends and ability, and having shown a real talent for dropping into space to give himself time to scan the pitch and look for a pass, he appears to be an ideal addition to the Villa midfield in terms of what Emery wants in that department having consistently spoken about control, while he adds physical presence and athleticism too.
Hopefully, Barrenechea will prove to be a vital addition to the squad to help us compete across multiple competitions this season and beyond, and he not only speaks well in terms of his maturity and level-headedness, but he will no doubt also receive a position response from Villa fans to the way he talks about the club in his first interview.
“I feel so happy to be a part of Aston Villa,” he told VillaTV. “A very big club, with a good structure and top-level facilities, so I’m really happy.
“The season that Aston Villa had last year, the way they are doing things, that for a player, is a big plus. It’s a new beginning for me.
“Last year, I grew a lot. I played the whole season to a high level [on loan at Frosinone]. Now I’ve come to the Premier League, I’ve come here to start from zero. I’ve come to contribute my resilience, I’ve come to do things well and help my teammates and achieve the group objective which is fundamental.
“I’m a player that can play No.5, as a midfielder. Last year I recovered a lot of balls, I work hard, I think I can play both positions well and I think I cross the ball well.”
Having travelled with the rest of the squad for our pre-season tour in the USA as expected, the Argentinian midfielder will get more opportunities to impress Emery in the next week or so and establish himself higher up the pecking order if possible, and it promises to be a fascinating watch to see him compete.
Along with our other summer signings, they have a big void to fill in midfield and a major task to push us forward in terms of competitiveness, but all the early signs are positive for Barrenechea, who will of course be guided by Emery, and given the development and improvement we’ve seen in so many other players under the Villa boss, it’s hoped that our new recruit follows a similar path.
