Three years after Jack Grealish’s departure, Aston Villa could soon replace the threat of the Bodymoor Heath graduate.
The summer transfer window has been hectic for Monchi, who had to combat Aston Villa’s PSR concerns before considering new arrivals.
Still, the Spaniard and Unai Emery have welcomed five new faces already, with plenty more to come if speculation is to be believed.
As the 2024/25 season edges closer, the Villans will be eager to bolster their squad in preparation for their upcoming Champions League campaign.
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Aston Villa are interested in signing Mainz attacker Brajan Gruda
As well as Lewis Dobbin, Ross Barkley and Samuel Iling-Junior, Emery could sign another attacker to strengthen his front line next term.
Most recently, Villa have been linked to Mainz forward Brajan Gruda, who is wanted by several top clubs this summer.
BILD credited Villa with having a greater chance at acquiring the £42m-rated 20-year-old, due to the understanding that they could offer him consistent first-team football.
It was only last season that the German broke into Mainz’s senior side, where he contributed to seven Bundesliga goals in 28 league appearances.
Villa’s likening to the highly-rated talent is interesting, as he boasts a skill set similar to that of a player once adored at Villa Park.
Brajan Gruda is a similar player to Jack Grealish
When Jack Grealish left Villa in 2021, not many would have expected that a player of his calibre at the time could ever be replaced.
Sadly for the Bodymoor Heath graduate, just three goals represented his 2023/24 campaign at City, as game time has started to dry up.
On the other hand, at Villa, Emery could find himself acquiring a talent similar to the former club captain when he was in his prime in claret and blue.
When you consider what saw Grealish shine during his final season at Villa Park, many would point to his ball-carrying ability, being an agile and strong carrier of the ball to promote positive passages of play.
Villa target Gruda offers something very similar, being an avid carrier of the ball, as highlighted by his numbers last term in the Bundesliga.
As per FBref, the 20-year-old averaged 5.48 progressive carries and 3.78 successful take-ons per 90 in 2023/24, telling of his strength in possession.
During the 2020/21 campaign, Grealish averaged a monstrous 7.08 progressive carries and 2.68 successful take-ons per 90 for Villa, reinforcing the similarities between the two.
German icon Thomas Muller once described Gruda as having ‘something special’, as he earned high praise for his breakthrough season in senior football.
It would be fascinating for Villa to capture the highly-rated youngster, who could bring back some of the fearless ball-carrying energy once provided by Grealish in B6.
