Jaden Philogene became the latest player to arrive at Aston Villa in this transfer window and he’ll provide a trait to Unai Emery that will be crucial next term.
Philogene was announced as Aston Villa’s sixth signing of the summer on Friday. Just a year on from joining Hull City for £5 million, Villa confirmed his return to the club for £13 million after matching Ipswich Town’s bid.
Signing a five-year contract, which keeps him at Villa Park till 2029, the club have instantly outlined their intentions for the 22-year-old by inserting a sell-on clause of close to €100m (£84m) in his contract.
Since departing the club last year in search of regular first-team football, Philogene tore apart the Championship with his lavish skill and ability to produce the spectacular.
Including 12 goals and six assists in the second tier, the outstanding rabona goal he scored against Rotherham United in February saw Micah Richards and Gary Lineker call for him to win the 2024 Puskas Award.
That viral goal was just a little eye-opener into his talent but Emery will have signed the winger for more than just his pace, skill and goal threat.
Unai Emery will be impressed by Jaden Philogene’s defensive efforts
Emery has orchestrated a high-pressing system that demands his side win the ball high up the pitch at Aston Villa.
While the technical talents of his players are important, the Spaniard expects incredible work rate and stamina from every player.
It’s the above reason why all the top teams in world football are all the most hard-working and that attribute explains why Villa were so successful in 2023/24.
Philogene – who played in a progressive system under Liam Rosenior at Hull City – is used to pressing high and tracking back.
The England under-21 international remarkably averaged the most tackles per game in the Hull squad (2.4), while against his positional peers in the Championship, Philogene ranked inside the top 4% for tackles and the top 16% for blocks.
This demonstrates that he’s not only a difference-maker in possession, but his willingness to win possession back is second to none.
Jaden Philogene’s role at Aston Villa in 2024/25
To go from selling their academy star to signing him back a year later just shows the major improvements he’s made.
Philogene didn’t see a future at Aston Villa in 2023 as he knew he’d be fighting against several players for a place in the squad and instead chose to guarantee first-team football by moving to Hull.
Now he’s returned to Villa, though, he’s arguably got a bigger task on his hands to break into the starting XI. The Villans are now stacked with so many options in wide areas, including Leon Bailey, Jacob Ramsey, Emi Buendia and Samuel Iling-Junior.
Emery’s side are also playing Champions League football, so for a player coming from the Championship, that will be a huge step up.
Initially, don’t be surprised to see Philogene play a bit-part role, although once he’s up to speed with Emery’s system, he certainly can become a very important player for the club.
