Aston Villa have enjoyed an exciting transfer window this summer, buoyed and bolstered by the top-four Premier League finish from last season that has paved a route toward Europe’s elite club competition.
While there has been much to praise, certain sacrifices have had to be made, with Douglas Luiz joining Juventus last month to put PSR-related fears to bed. Now, record signing Moussa Diaby is on the cusp of signing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in a £51m transfer.
Diaby, 25, was solid if unspectacular last term, though he will need to be replaced. Joao Felix has reportedly been lined up as the perfect replacement, but the Villans must surely prioritise another La Liga sensation.
Aston Villa transfer news
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are weighing up a move for Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, with Emery eyeing more firepower given Jhon Duran has been heavily linked with a Villa Park exit this summer.
Williams, who scored for Spain in the Euro 2024 final against England en route to the trophy, is one of the most coveted targets in world football this summer, with his £49m release clause making him an enticing prospect indeed.
The 22-year-old has been on the Villans’ radar for some time, and while Barcelona are hoping to complete the signing, Emery might feel that his side’s extensive scouting and promise of a starring role could hold sway.
Why Villa must prioritise signing Nico Williams
Williams completed a stunning season for Bilbao last year, notching 27 goal contributions across 37 matches as he orchestrated his outfit’s Copa del Rey triumph – ending a 40-year wait for silverware.
Aside from his playmaking prowess, he also ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
The earlier-mentioned Felix might be deemed an excellent choice of replacement for the outgoing Diaby, but Williams is rightly one of Europe’s most highly-regarded wingers at the moment and he would be a stunning success.
|
Nico Williams: Euro 2024 Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
# |
|
Matches played |
6 |
|
Matches started |
6 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Pass completion |
90% |
|
Key passes per game |
2.2 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
3.8 |
|
Dribbles per game |
2.2 |
|
Duels won per game |
3.3 |
Diaby, let’s not forget, was repackaged into a thrusting attacking midfield position as the campaign went on, traditionally a wide player. Felix, while perhaps typically regarded as a centre-forward, or at least a deeper-lying forward who plays off the focal frontman, performed on the left flank with the greatest regularity with Barcelona.
In that regard, Aston Villa might be looking to sign Felix with the notion of deploying him on the wing, but if that is truly the case, then surely Williams would be a better pick.
Felix scored ten goals and added six assists across all competitions for Barca, starting 24 matches. The Portugal international is a fantastic talent but, at 24, has yet to bag more than eight goals in a single league campaign in a top-five European division.
Having signed for Atletico Madrid from Benfica for £113m in 2019, it’s fair to say that he should have done better. Sure, he’s got the full gamut in regard to his skillset, but it’s difficult to argue that he’d be the better fit than Williams – especially when considering that they would arrive for a relatively similar transfer fee.
Spain’s Euro 2024 superstar’s potential transfer has seen little headway so far, with negotiations turning protracted despite La Blaugrana’s claims that they can pay the release clause.
The Spanish giants’ financial struggles in recent years have been well documented, and perhaps, the longer the saga drags on, the greater chance Aston Villa will find of pouncing and completing a monumental deal.
Who knows, Williams could even prove to be Villa’s finest winger since Jack Grealish was sold to Manchester City in a British-record £100m transfer in 2021.
Grealish’s fleet-footed style of play captured the awe of the Lions faithful and played an instrumental role in the vital success of the Dean Smith era, placing blocks for Emery’s thriving project to sit upon.
Almost unplayable across his final two Premier League seasons with Villa, the latter of which he donned the captain’s armband, the 28-year-old was actually praised by pundit Micah Richards for having “absolutely everything” needed for high-level success while plying his trade in the Midlands.
|
Jack Grealish: Final 2 Prem Seasons with AVFC |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
|
Matches played |
36 |
26 |
|
Matches started |
36 |
24 |
|
Goals |
8 |
6 |
|
Assists |
5 |
10 |
|
Pass completion |
85% |
83% |
|
Big chances created |
8 |
14 |
|
Shots per game |
2.0 |
1.9 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.5 |
3.2 |
|
Dribbles per game |
2.0 |
2.5 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
5.2 |
5.1 |
|
Duels won per game |
8.0 |
8.9 |
Analyst Ben Mattinson has said that Williams is “one of the best wingers on the market“, and his words couldn’t be more true. If Aston Villa manage to pull it off, it would be nothing short of masterful. Grealish was incredible for his boyhood club, and Williams boasts the quality to match the English trickster and then some.
In La Liga last season, the artful wide forward scored five goals and added 11 assists, averaged 1.5 key passes, 5.2 successful duels and 2.7 dribbles per game and created ten big chances for his teammates. He has showcased that he has what it takes to become one of the game’s finest wingers around.
Now, with a host of European outfits pushing for a deal, he simply needs to pick wisely. While Barcelona might be tempting, Emery would roll out a providential carpet that could see Williams rise to giddy heights indeed.
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