Unai Emery could come up against several familiar faces as Aston Villa battle Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday evening.
Aston Villa’s pre-season antics continue on Wednesday evening following the squad’s time in the United States.
After securing three defeats and conceding seven goals in the States, Unai Emery will be glad to see his side back on home turf to face Athletic Bilbao and Borussia Dortmund.
Before returning to Villa Park to host Dortmund, Villa will battle the Spanish side at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium.
The fixture will be a good test for Emery’s men with Athletic’s squad being packed with star talent, something the Villa boss is aware of.
Three Athletic Bilbao players that Aston Villa have tried to sign
From his time managing in Spain, Emery is well-equipped to understand the threat that Athletic can pose to Villa.
Interestingly, the manager has been inspired by the club’s talent in the past, as Villa have been linked to three Athletic players since the boss arrived in 2022.
Unai Simon
During the summer of 2023, it was relayed by CaughtOffisde that Villa were prepared to battle Manchester United to sign Simon.
The goalkeeper could have been a close contender to Emi Martinez in B6, being a ‘keeper of an incredibly high pedigree.
Instead, the Basque shot-stopper signed a new deal at his boyhood club this summer, extending his stay to 2029.
Fortunately, Villa’s forwards won’t have the pleasure of testing their luck against Simon, who is out of action for a number of months after undergoing wrist surgery.
Nico Williams
Villa fans will be more than aware of the club’s links to Nico Williams, whom Emery is understood to have targetted last summer also.
In fact, earlier this window it came to light that Villa wanted Williams instead of Moussa Diaby, with the winger’s time at Euro 2024 only encouraging more admirers to see the light.
Just like Simons, Villa will be fortunate enough to not have to come up against Williams on Wednesday night as the 22-year-old only returned to training this week and has not been named in the squad.
Oihan Sancet
One player also linked to Villa is Oihan Sancet, who has been named in the squad to play at the Bescot Stadium.
Last year, Spanish publication AS reported that Villa were eyeing a move for Sancet, who has been instrumental in midfield for the Basque club over the years.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has contributed to 31 goals over the past three LaLiga seasons for his boyhood club, hinting at why Emery was eyeing his services in 2023.
Unai Emery will be wary of Athletic Bilbao’s threat
Aside from the three players that Emery was credited to have wanted at Villa, the manager’s admiration for Athletic stems back further than his time at Villa Park.
For example, back in 2019, the Daily Mail reported that the boss wanted to sign Athletic midfielder Ander Herrera at Arsenal, as the Spaniard was leaving Manchester United.
A similar link also comes with current left-back Yuri Berchiche, whom Emery actually signed at PSG in 2017 before the player transferred to Athletic the following year.
For now, Emery will be focused on seeing how his current crop of players fare against those he once admired.
