Aston Villa have picked up where they left off last season to put themselves in contention for a European place once more in the current campaign. Unai Emery’s side sit as high as fifth and just one point adrift of fourth place Tottenham Hotspur. From fighting relegation under Steven Gerrard, the Midlands club have been transformed into a club potentially vying for a Champions League place under Emery. And much of the credit deserves to go to the former Sevilla boss and his recruitment team.
Villa have welcomed some impressive names in the last year or so, including Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo – both of whom have got off to ideal starts to life in the Premier League. Now, those at Villa Park reportedly want to repeat their transfer trick by boosting Emery’s attacking options even further.
Aston Villa transfer news
Villa are now in a position to convince a certain calibre of player to choose Emery’s project over others around Europe. They’ve proven their ability to compete on the European stage this season, too, through their results in the Europa Conference League. And now they are reportedly prepared to welcome a winner of that very competition to improve even further.
According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Aston Villa are readying a bid to sign Tammy Abraham in January, despite the AS Roma forward’s current place on the sidelines with an ACL injury. It is believed that the former Villa loanee can slot straight into Emery’s system and can replace Jhon Duran, who one source told Football Insider is a “handful” for Emery and his staff amid questions over his attitude. The summer arrival will reportedly be allowed to leave on loan during the January transfer window.
It remains to be seen just how much Roma’s price-tag for Abraham will be, given that his current contract doesn’t expire until 2026, but his position on the sidelines until spring should certainly make any deal an interesting one.
“Machine” Abraham could improve Aston Villa
Struggling with a long-term injury, Abraham would be doing himself no harm by returning to the place he once briefly called home. During his loan spell at Villa Park, the England international helped the Midlands club to Premier League promotion. Abraham’s stats during his loan spell were extremely impressive, with the forward scoring 26 goals in 40 appearances for the club.
Emery may well form one of the deadliest strike partnerships in the Premier League with Abraham and Ollie Watkins, allowing the latter to occasionally turn creator for a fellow goalscorer. When Watkins’ stats were compared to Abraham’s last season, it’s clear to see just how talented both forwards are.
|
Player |
Goals |
Assists |
Progressive Passes |
Expected Goals |
|
Tammy Abraham |
8 |
3 |
54 |
10.8 |
|
Ollie Watkins |
15 |
6 |
39 |
16.5 |
If Villa want to become a club capable of competing for a place in the Champions League, then welcoming players like Abraham is the way forward, with competition on multiple fronts requiring huge quality in depth. Described as a “goal machine” by former Manchester City striker Stephen Elliott, Abraham could be handed the perfect opportunity to bounce back from his injury in style.
