With speculation already rife and countless touted targets being linked with an Aston Villa transfer, one key aspect remains important to remember this summer.
Various names are now said to be on our transfer shortlist ahead of the summer window, and naturally, many of them have split opinion amongst the Villa fanbase in terms of whether or not they would be a good signing for us.
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It’s rare to have a reported target gain universal approval from the fans unless it’s a top-level, marquee signing, but ultimately the one opinion that matters most this summer is that of Unai Emery.
As we saw last season, the Spanish tactician knows what he wants to build at Villa and has clear ideas and coaching methods to extract that from those available to him to ensure we succeed and achieve our objectives.
He has significantly improved us both collectively and individually, transformed us into a side that was competing for Europe just months after being precariously placed above the relegation zone, and appears to have brought in a brilliant player in Alex Moreno for his first signing at the club.
Particularly after the appointment of Mateu Alemany as director failed to materialise, this certainly now feels like Emery’s show this summer in terms of the transfer market, but time will tell if we still bring in a key figure to add to the management infrastructure who will have an important say in our strategy.
For now though, there is absolute trust and belief in Emery’s judgement this summer. Whether it’s identifying who or what we need to add to strengthen the squad, or improving and developing those brought in to become key players in the role required of them, there is little doubt we will be a stronger group by the end of the window.
While some have valid reservations over Youri Tielemans after The Athletic reported an approach from Villa to sign him on a free transfer could be imminent, the 26-year-old could be a completely different player under Emery’s guidance and take his game to the next level, like so many in the current squad did last season.
Further, every signing this summer will have a purpose. Villa need competition and depth across the group to compete across multiple fronts next year, and so even if Tielemans is being targeted as a squad player to push those ahead of him in the pecking order and produce when involved, Emery will no doubt be confident he has the right mentality and desire to produce what is required from him.
Of course there is always the possibility of getting some things wrong, but with his experience, pedigree and the vast array of players and characters that he has coached over his illustrious managerial career to date, Emery will be well placed to make the most sensible call.
It’s likely to be a busy few weeks and months for Villa as the expectation is that there will be many outgoings and incomings, but there is full faith in our Boss’s ability to get the big decisions right and make us stronger heading into the new campaign.