Unai Emery is a genius, the Aston Villa fans won’t get sick and tired of saying it or hearing it.
Aston Villa still want to achieve more under his stewardship, including winning trophies, but so far it has been one of the most entertaining rides witnessed in B6 in decades.
There have been several reasons behind Emery’s record-breaking time as Villa manager, where he has racked up 50 wins in the quickest time in the club’s history (90 matches) and guided the club back to the Champions League.
From the co-owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens laying down a platform for him to run, the club’s transfer guru, Monchi, Emery’s underrated coaching staff and the players.
Villa’s recruitment, not just since Emery has been in the dugout, but ever since they returned to the big time has been outstanding for large parts.
From signing Ezri Konsa in Villa’s first season back to bringing in the confident Emi Martinez from Arsenal to become the club’s number one and best in the world!
But who has been the best signing of the Emery era so far? Here we take a look at the top three, with the new faces coming in this summer not included because they have only been here for a short period.
Aston Villa’s best signings under Unai Emery
3 – Morgan Rogers: Villa paid an initial £8 million fee for Rogers last January and even that was questioned at the time when he moved from Middlesbrough.
Yet, fast forward to the present and there are cries for Rogers to be selected for England as he has now become a first-team starter in less than a year.
What’s even better with this signing is that there is plenty more to come and his valuation will only rise the more he enters that field, as well as become one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
2. Youri Tielemans: The powers that be at Villa Park love a free transfer and they have pulled off a masterstroke here with Tielemans.
Tielemans has been Villa’s best player this season after playing a pivotal role in them finishing fourth last term. Playing as that eight, he controls matches, works tremendously hard off the ball and is now the set-piece king with Douglas Luiz out of the door.
What’s even better is that the 27-year-old still probably has another level to go and it proves the genius of Emery and his recruitment. You don’t need to spend £100 million on a midfielder!
And the main one, the number one signing under the Emery era so far has been Pau Torres: What a player. An absolute Rolls-Royce of a footballer.
Brought in from Villarreal where he worked under Emery. Helped them win the Europa League and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. He epitomises the way that the team play.
Costing just over £30 million, it’s another incredible bit of business from the club, he’s still 27 and a Spain international.
Villa lost Tyrone Mings for the entirety of last season, it was a huge blow for the team, but quality-wise, Torres, not only didn’t make sure the England international wasn’t a miss with his performances, but he took the build-up play of the team to the next level.
Aston Villa in the January transfer window
There was the sense that Villa didn’t exactly get who or what they wanted in the summer, with a few missing pieces here and there.
You have seen a few young guns start at right-back already – Kosta Nedeljkovic and Lamare Bogarde.
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Ideally, Emery wanted another senior figure in there, who like Konsa, could fit in at right-back, as well as play at the heart of the defence.
It will be interesting to see if the powers that be, and this will depend on how much the club can spend, will try to sort that situation out in January because you sense another defensive option is still needed.
