Former Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling has been talking about why he feels Aston Villa will be a very attractive proposition for potential signings this summer.
Aston Villa are fresh off the back of an incredible season, finishing fourth in the Premier League and securing Champions League qualification in the process.
They also saw their stature grow in Europe with a run to the semi-final of the Europa Conference League before ultimately falling to a 6-2 aggregate defeat to Olympiacos.
Manager Unai Emery deserves enormous credit for that, with the club he arrived at in November 2022 one that looked set for a relegation scrap under Steven Gerrard.
The club is set for a busy summer, with signings required ready for another historic campaign and Stelling has spoken about what he feels makes Villa an attractive option.
Jeff Stelling outlines why Aston Villa are attractive to signings
Villa will have to be clever with their business this summer.
Even with Champions League qualification, the midlands club are at risk of breaching both Premier League and UEFA spending rules so look set to have to sell one or two first-team players in order to balance the books.
Stelling was on TalkSport on Tuesday morning where he spoke about why Villa are such an attracter proposition currently, saying: “I would say he has got Emi Martinez, who is a world-class player. He has also got other real quality players.
“Ollie Watkins, he has got Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos so on and so forth.”
However, Stelling was clear on what he thinks is the biggest attraction for any player considering signing, as he went on to say: “I think that people will look at Aston Villa and think that they are a coming force, and they will be attracted by Unai Emery as well and his fabulous record over the years.”
Unai Emery has real transfer pull
Emery is a four-time Europa League winner who has managed the likes of PSG, Arsenal, Sevilla and Villarreal.
When the club managed to convince the Spanish coach to join following Gerrard’s sacking it was widely view as a real coup, and so it has proved.
Emery will not be happy to rest on his laurels after Champions League qualification and will be keen for his Villa side to make their mark on the competition.
Unfortunately for Emery and Villa, two of the players Stelling mentioned could depart this summer. Diego Carlos and Douglas Luiz have both been mentioned as players Villa could sell in order to comply with Financial Fair Play.
They will need replacing and Emery has the pull to make that possible, with his European pedigree and man-management skills making him the kind of coach players would love to work with.
The likes of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans would all have been very unlikely to sign for the Villa Park club without Emery at the helm.
Now, Villa fans will be hoping he can pull a few more rabbits out the hat in a transfer sense alongside president of football operations, Monchi, who is renowned for his dealings in the transfer market.
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