Unai Emery is looking to change one part of his Aston Villa squad this summer, as the latest transfer activity has suggested.
The 2023/24 season was a triumph for Aston Villa, who claimed a fourth place finish and subsequently secured a spot in the Champions League.
Unai Emery will be thrilled with his first full campaign in charge of the Villans however, will be on the hunt for upgrades this summer.
Despite orchestrating a dazzling 2023/24 season, Emery will realise there are faults to correct in his squad, with one area now a clear target for change ahead of next term.
Unai Emery wants to see changes to his Aston Villa defence this summer in the transfer window
The back four was one frailty of Emery’s side last season, as Villa leaked more goals that relegation-threatened Everton.
The Midlands club conceded the highest number of goals in the top four by at least 20, letting in 61 goals in 38 games.
Now, it seems that Emery wants to strengthen his back line, which could come in the form of acquiring new fullbacks.
In January, it was announced that Villa had signed 18-year-old Serbian right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic, with activity in that position not ending there.
This week, Villa’s interest in Fiorentina teen Michael Kayode came to light, which led to U23 scout Antonio Mango sharing his opinion on the changes he expects to see at Villa Park.
Taking to X, the scout explained that the two defender’s are ‘really similar’, adding that he believes Emery is ‘opting for an aggressive full-back for quicker turnovers and transitions’.
Kayode and Nedeljkovic display Emery’s hopes for the future
Investing in top young talent is always a plus for clubs, even more so when they represent what is missing from a current XI.
As explained by Mango, introducing a more competent full-back when it comes to transitioning play would hand Villa a fresh approach to games, using a tactic that was absent at Villa Park last term.
Emery did not want to jeopardise defensive stability for progressive play, which explained the withdrawal of Matty Cash for Ezri Konsa at right-back.
Rising stars such as Kayode and Nedeljkovic represent a generation of young full-backs who have it programmed to show equal attention to both requirements on the pitch.
It’s clear why Emery is on the hunt for a new full-back, and even more clear as to why Nedeljkovic was captured in January, and why Kayode is one of the names on Monchi’s list.
Only time will tell if the Villa boss can strike a deal for Kayode, and whether Nedeljkovic will become a first team member next season as he prepares to meet his new teammates.
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