Aston Villa have had a fantastic start to the season, going from almost certain for relegation last year to people talking about a Euro push this season. This is all down to Dean Smith, and smart recruitment. Last season, there were a few too many misses. Wesley, a fantastic prospect, however before his injury, he had next to no service and was seriously struggling. Marvelous Nakamba, a great engine but not a player who’s adapted we’ll to the Premier League either. Then there were the hits, Freddy Guilbert, Tyrone Mings, Tom Heaton, Matty Targett, all players that were brought in last season and seem to have worked well.
This season the recruitment has been immaculate. Traore has added a spark going forward, Matty Cash, possibly the best signing of them all, Ross Barkley, Martinez etc. All these signings have hit the ground running, and more. With some fine tuning in the January window, Villa could become genuine title contenders. I’ll be covering the latest transfer news and predicting who I would like to see Villa sign in the section below.
Aston Villa Transfer rumours
When it comes to rumours, it has been quiet on the Villa end. The only real position Smith looks to be trying to improve is up-front. Odsonne Edouard seems to be the Milot Rashica, a player Aston Villa are consistently linked with, but not signing. Again, the Rashica rumours are around, but they have been going on too long to be believed at this point. There have been some lower league players mentioned, but again, it’s nothing that will transform the squad right now. I think Villa could do with a few players to help bolster the depth in the team.
Gleison Bremer
Gleison Bremer is a 23-year-old Brazilian center back. He’s big and physical, but has the ability to pass out from the back. He is a solid defender, with 1.1 tackles per game and 2.1 interceptions per game this season, his defensive work is something that has dropped slightly this season from 1.6 tackles per game and 2.3 interceptions last season. Aston Villa have a good enough defense as it is, however with Bjorn Engles barely getting a look-in, and Ming and Hause being left sided, Bremer is a target that could help add some balance to the Aston Villa squad, especially the right side.
Asier Illarramendi
Next up, Asier Illarramendi. He is a defensive midfielder from Real Sociedad, formerly of Real Madrid. Whilst Aston Villa have Douglas Luiz, he is the only player of that caliber that can play in the holding midfield position. Marvelous Nakamba is a good change to make 50/70 minutes into a game to help add legs to the midfield, although his overall play isn’t up to standards. With Dean Smith sticking with the same squad, it is inevitable that there will be injuries, and Illarramendi comes with international prestige, solid defensively, and brilliant distribution, along with leadership skills.
Joshua Zirkzee
Lastly we have Joshua Zirkzee. A 6’4 striker from Bayern. Whilst moving from Bayern to Aston Villa isn’t usually a logical choice, he doesn’t seem to be getting much of a look-in with Robert Lewandowski scoring at the usual rate of madness. He would be the perfect foil for Watkins, and a perfect back-up. Being 6’4, he’s a useful plan B as well as back-up, scoring a lot of his goals in the air. He would need to bide his time and be patient, but there’s a much clearer path to the first team, and he wouldn’t command a crazy transfer fee.
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