After weeks of speculation, Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea were finally confirmed as Aston Villa players on Monday.
The arrival of the pair from Juventus was officially announced on the Aston Villa club website in a deal that saw Douglas Luiz go the other way to join the Italian giants.
The sale of Luiz – a key player under Unai Emery – was required to comply with Premier League PSR ahead of the 30th June deadline.
Villa have also sold academy duo Tim Irogebunam and Omari Kellyman, the former to Everton for £9 million and the latter to Chelsea for £19 million.
It was a busy start to the week for Villa, with Ross Barkley’s £5 million signing also announced later in the day.
Barkley is a player Villa fans know all about from his season on loan at the club in 2020/21, but a former Juventus youth coach has now told the Villa Park faithful what to expect from both Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea.
Former Juventus coach ‘convinced’ Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea will succeed at Aston Villa
Iling-Junior started his career at Chelsea but left to join Juventus aged just 16 in 2020.
Barrenechea had a slightly different route to Italy, signing for Sion in Switzerland from academy club Newell’s old Boys in his homeland in summer 2019 before Juventus signed the Argentine just six months later.
Both players were part of the youth teams at Juventus upon arrival and former Juve under-19 coach Andrea Bonatti has spoken on the pair ahead of their first taste of the Premier League.
Asked by Tutto Juve whether the duo will be a success, Bonatti said of his former pupils:
“I am convinced that the Premier League is a league that adapts to their characteristics, because they are two players with an excellent technique, an important physical structure and obvious athleticism that will make them adapt very well to the intense rhythms with which they are played in England”.
Iling-Junior and Barrenechea ready for Premier League
When Iling-Junior swapped England for Italy at 16, he saw the move as an opportunity to experience a different culture whilst increasing his chances of senior football.
A bold move for a player so young, the winger has reaped the rewards as he returns to his homeland still just 20 but with 45 senior Juventus appearances under his belt.
Barrenechea has similarly benefitted from a move away from his home country.
Older than Iling-Junior at 23, Barrenechea suffered an ACL injury in 2021 that kept him out for almost a year but has shown no signs of any long-term ill effects of that injury.
The defensive midfielder only made five senior appearances for Juve, but showed his talents on loan at Frosinone as he had his first season as a regular in 2023/24.
Barrenechea was impressive despite the club’s relegation from Serie A, clocking up 39 appearances in all competitions.
Now, both players are ready for a crack at the Premier League and can also look forward to Champions League football at their new club.
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