Speculation suggests that Aston Villa will look to strengthen Unai Emery’s squad this summer, but where is most in need of reinforcements?
Off the back of a season in which we secured fourth place in the Premier League and subsequently qualified for the Champions League, there is evidently a great core to the current squad that just needs improvement and refinement around it.
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As we’ve seen since Emery was appointed, Villa will no doubt be meticulous in how they prioritise targets who are capable of improving our level, and so we’ll likely see quality over quantity again this summer.
That said, we also need to ensure we have enough competition and strength in depth to cope with what will be another gruelling campaign, and as injuries hurt us this past season, it’s hoped that we can address what we need to in order to help us go the distance next time round.
While Emery will have a strategy and preferred targets in mind, there are arguably obvious areas in which we’ll likely be active in the coming weeks and months.
Centre-half
With Clement Lenglet’s loan stint coming to an end, Tyrone Mings will return from injury and likely fill that void, provided that he has been able to make a full recovery and can return to his previous levels.
However, amid speculation linking Diego Carlos with an exit this summer, should the Brazilian centre-half move on, that would require a replacement being drafted in to compete with Ezri Konsa for that role on the right side of the central defensive partnership.
Calum Chambers will be free to leave again and so that could leave us short of depth too, and so it remains to be seen if there is a slight reshuffle at the back.
Full-back
While Konsa did an admirable job filling in at right-back in Matty Cash’s absence, it’s clear that we need to improve and strengthen in that position to be more resolute and balanced at the back.
Kostas Nedeljkovic will arrive after sealing his move in January before returning to Red Star Belgrade on loan for the remainder of the season, but at 18 years of age, is he ready to come in and compete immediately with Cash? Kaine Kesler-Hayden will have his say too hopefully, but a more established option could be considered.
On the opposite side, speculation has never been too far away in terms of linking Lucas Digne with an exit, and coupled with Alex Moreno’s injury woes this past year, time will tell if a change is made there too.
Central midfield
Injuries really hurt us in midfield last season, with Boubacar Kamara sidelined from February, while Youri Tielemans had his issues too. Coupled with Douglas Luiz and John McGinn getting suspended, it really limited Emery at various points in terms of his tactical flexibility.
In turn, a central midfielder, perhaps one that adds more athleticism and tenacity in the heart of the side to protect the backline more efficiently could be a real priority.
Kamara is expected to miss several months to start the new season as he continues his recovery, and so filling that void in the short term, but also finding a long-term solution too, would be ideal.
Winger
Nicolo Zaniolo is seemingly unlikely to stay on after his loan deal expires later this month, and although we’ll get Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey back from injury, it could still be an area Emery looks to strengthen in.
Those absences put a significant strain on Leon Bailey in particular, while Morgan Rogers played a more prominent role than expected in his first months at the club, albeit he was so impressive when called upon.
However, with Moussa Diaby looking to improve in his second season with us, we’ll hopefully add another option to complement and support those players across multiple fronts.
Forward
With plenty of talk around Jhon Duran’s future in recent months and uncertainty over Cameron Archer’s next step as he’s set to return following Sheffield Utd’s relegation, there is a lot to be sorted out in attack.
Ollie Watkins will of course be the leading man up top after a stellar campaign this past year, but Villa must have the right depth options behind him to give Emery a different look and dynamic in that role when needed.
Further, Watkins surely can’t be asked to play 50+ times again next season after 48 starts in 53 appearances last season, and so it’s imperative that we have depth capable of coming in and making an impact, especially if we green light exits for Duran and Archer again.