Monchi could be about to make his first mistake at Aston Villa as the club closes in on their first deal of the summer.
The summer transfer window has started rapidly at Villa Park as Unai Emery prepares to sanction the first transaction in the market.
Aston Villa, like many clubs, have PSR concerns that must be addressed by June 30th, which has sped up the current headline deal of Douglas Luiz’s exit.
The Brazilian is poised to join Juventus in a swap deal plus cash, seeing Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior come the other way.
While the transfer is set to aid Villa’s PSR situation, questions must be asked about the trading of a midfielder as established as Luiz for his positional equal, McKennie.
READ MORE: Explained: Why Aston Villa have serious PSR concerns despite £150m ‘gamble’ paying off
Monchi could be about to make a big mistake with Weston McKennie signing
Given the importance that Luiz holds in Emery’s set-up, it is quite underwhelming to see McKennie involved as one player to fill his void.
The United States international is a holding midfielder by trade however, has been drifting onto the right side at Juventus.
Many will already be aware of the 25-year-old from his loan spell at Leeds United, which detailed some frailties to his game, with his numbers at Juventus only reinforcing such narrative.
When assessing the two players’ 2023/24 seasons, the differences between the duo are alarming, with Luiz having a far greater potency going forward than McKennie.
Added to that, the Brazilian excelled in his distribution, tackles and interceptions and goal contributions, elements that make him so important to Emery’s style of play.
Comparing the two central midfielders only brings to light what Villa will be missing in Luiz, and what McKennie may not be able to offer, a scenario that could indicate Monchi’s first mistake.
Douglas Luiz and McKennie are polar opposites
Aside from their positional similarities, there are very few mirrored strengths between Luiz and McKennie.
The Brazilian is celebrated at Villa Park as being one of Emery’s most technically gifted assets, something that can’t be said for the United States international.
Speaking on the For The Love of Paul McGrath Aston Villa Podcast, Italian football expert Nima Tavallaey Roodsari described McKennie as being a ‘very limited player technically’.
Fortunately, Villa have Emery as their manager, a coach who excels at getting the most out of his players, something that may be needed if McKennie is identified as the player to fill the void left by Luiz.
The deal is a peculiar one given the difference in the calibre of the players involved in the exchange, with there hope that Emery and Monchi can prove doubters wrong.
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