One of Unai Emery’s players should be concerned about Aston Villa’s links to one top-quality transfer target.
The momentum of the start to the summer transfer window doesn’t look to be slowing at Villa Park.
Already, Unai Emery and Monchi have orchestrated a total of eight moves, seeing five players arrive and three depart to signal change ahead of 2024/25.
With plenty of time remaining for the duo to welcome further new faces to Aston Villa, one target that has emerged could represent a blockbuster capture in preparation for Villa’s Champions League quest.
Aston Villa must push for transfer target Joao Felix
One target linked to Villa Park is Joao Felix, who returned to Atletico Madrid after spending the season on loan at Barcelona.
Villa have been credited with an interest in the Portugal international, with there an understanding that the Midlands club would be willing to match the player’s wage demands.
With there a belief that Monchi would be hoping to secure the forward on loan with an obligation to buy, it will be interesting to see how speculation develops over the coming weeks.
The 24-year-old played half of the 2022/23 campaign in the Premier League with Chelsea, and could now return if Villa are to turn their interest up a notch.
Signing Felix would be a problem for Moussa Diaby
If Villa were to acquire the former Benfica starlet’s signature this summer, not everyone at the club would appreciate his arrival.
Being a player who thrives playing just behind the striker, Felix could offer Emery luxury in an area currently eyed by Moussa Diaby.
The Frenchman arrived at Villa Park last summer from Bayer Leverkusen and had a debut season that at first offered so much, before fizzling out.
As a result, Diaby became a substitute in Emery’s match-day squad, seeing his game time shrink and the importance of consistency rise.
| Joao Felix | Moussa Diaby | |
| Shots | 4.40 | 2.24 |
| Non-penalty goals | 0.38 | 0.25 |
| Progressive passes | 4.50 | 2.98 |
| Successful take-ons | 2.10 | 1.20 |
| Carries into final third | 3.83 | 1.78 |
Adding Felix to the mix would only add more pressure to Diaby, which is in some ways good for promoting healthy competition, however, it could be argued that the Villa target has more of a claim to the starting XI.
When comparing Felix’s time in the Premier League at Chelsea with Diaby’s first season at Villa, it’s clear to see where the Portugal international could better suit Emery’s system.
The Villa target was once lauded as ‘exceptional’ by Xavi and has an abundance of talent there to be utilised in B6, particularly in the role around Ollie Watkins in the spearhead of attack.
Another player in such position could push Diaby further down the pecking order, with a talent of Felix’s calibre unlikely to assume the back seat if he were to make the move.
