Aston Villa are poised to enjoy an interesting summer in the transfer market as Unai Emery and Monchi assess their options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with Champions League involvement set to be a crucial factor.
Unai Emery and Monchi orchestrated an impressive summer of transfers at Aston Villa last summer, welcoming five new faces to bolster the squad in preparation for the season.
Moussa Diaby, Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Clement Lenglet and Nicolo Zaniolo joined the Villans with the goal of adding star quality to the squad.
As Villa sit three points clear in fourth ahead of Tottenham, the club’s prospects for the upcoming transfer window are beginning to be assessed, with Champions League football set to play a big part in who the Villans can target.
Players that Aston Villa could target in the summer transfer window
The rumours have already started regarding potential targets that Villa could eye to install additional quality to the squad already on show.
Speaking exclusively to Aston Villa News, HITC journalist Graeme Bailey gave an interesting update on Villa’s transfer plans.
“This summer’s going to be, in terms of what Villa want to do, quality over quantity, shaping the squad. It’s close to what Emery wants but just adding those touches of quality around the squad is their main focus.”
“Depending on top four, for instance, Nico Williams we know is a player they like a lot, could they get him if they weren’t in the Champions League? Probably not, given his other suitors but if Villa get in the top four, that might be another option.”
“If they don’t get Nico Williams do they then go back for someone like Alex Baena at Villarreal, I think Villa are one of the clubs whose finishing position will seriously dictate what they do in the summer.”
Signing Nico Williams would be a statement for Aston Villa
Touching on the prospect of striking a deal for Nico Williams, who was reported to be a target for the Villans last summer, Bailey explained that a lot of the driving force behind securing players in the window will be decided by Villa’s Champions League destiny.
With a reported release clause of around £43m at Athletic Bilbao, the 21-year-old would be an affordable asset for Villa, who could highly benefit from adding a new left winger to their squad.
Likened statistically to stars such as Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli by FBref, the Spaniard is one of the best wide players in Europe, ranking in the top 5% of those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for his average of 3.67 successful take-ons per 90.
Signing Williams could offer Emery the chance to essentially clone the threat that Leon Bailey provides and transfer it to the left side, handing Villa a stern advantage if a deal could be struck.
Qualifying for the Champions League will be crucial for the Villans, not just to retain players but to purchase them too, with the higher calibre of talent seeing playing among Europe’s elite as essential.
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