Aston Villa have been linked to several players ahead of the summer transfer window, with one potential target claimed to be better than some of Unai Emery’s starters.
Now that Aston Villa have secured Champions League football, Unai Emery will want the squad to match such level.
The summer transfer window will present both Emery and Monchi with the opportunity to explore potential upgrades for the Villa squad, with depth and added star quality needed ahead of the 2024/25 season.
After the thrills that the fourth-place finishing campaign brought to Villa Park, there will be the feeling that not much needs to be done to improve however, as seen before, the only way is up for Emery and his side.
Having stepped up significantly this term, the Spaniard will be hopeful that he can manoeuvre the transfer window to his advantage, with one cost-effective target already linked to the club.
Transfer expert says Carlos Soler is better than Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans
Last week, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Villa were one of the sides to show interest in PSG midfielder Carlos Soler, whose career in Paris is ‘over’ according to Romano.
Signed in 2022 by PSG for a mere €20m (£17m), Emery could capture an experienced player with star quality in Soler, with some considering him to be an upgrade on Villa’s current options.
Speaking exclusively to Aston Villa News, transfer expert and HITC journalist Graeme Bailey shared his view on Villa’s interest in the Spaniard.
“I think he adds real quality, real depth.
“Is he an upgrade on Luiz and McGinn? I wouldn’t say he’s an upgrade but I wouldn’t say he’s a drop-off.
“Is he better than Tielemans and Kamara? I think he probably might be.”
Excelling as a deep-lying playmaker, Soler is more of a Tielemans than a Kamara although, the margins between the three players are not as wide as some may think.
How Carlos Soler compares to Aston Villa midfielders
Once lauded as ‘magnificent’ for his quality by journalist Sid Lowe, Soler rose to prominence at Valencia, where he grew from the academy before making the move across Europe to PSG.
The Spaniard is a high-class player with a host of experience playing in the Spanish top flight, Ligue 1 and the Champions League, which will come of interest to Villa.
As highlighted above, Bailey’s claims of Soler being an upgrade on Kamara and Tielemans have some validity, with the midfielder rising as the better playmaker however, the differences in the trio’s playing styles split them beyond comparison.
That is what could make Soler a particularly interesting signing for Emery and Monchi, with the PSG outsider’s versatility and ability to dictate play from midfield traits that the Villa boss likes his players to have, as seen this season.
It will be interesting to see just how highly Villa see Soler on their list of potential transfers this summer, with the 27-year-old having the quality to boost the standard at Villa Park.
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