Aston Villa are showing no signs of complacency in the current transfer window as Unai Emery looks to strengthen his first-team squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign – having most recently secured the return of academy graduate, Jaden Philogene, from Hull City.
With Villa Park hosting Champions League football, it is imperative that the club make the right signings in order to continue their recent upward trajectory.
It looks as though the club are closing in on signing a current Barcelona player who has plenty of Premier League experience…
Aston Villa pursuing move for former Premier League star
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Villa are keen on bringing former Leeds United star Raphinha to the club this summer, with that interest coming amid the claims that Moussa Diaby's move to Saudi side, Al-Ittihad, is advancing.
It looks like the La Liga side are set to demand a transfer fee of around £50m in order for a deal to go through, and clubs such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal could be set to hijack the deal.
Emery will be hoping that the sale of Diaby, who has a price tag of £60m, can go through sooner rather than later, which would allow him to fund the signing of Raphinha.
Player
Club signed from
Ian Maatsen
Chelsea
Lewis Dobbin
Everton
Samuel Iling-Junior
Juventus
Enzo Barrenechea
Juventus
Ross Barkley
Luton Town
Cameron Archer
Sheffield United
Jaden Philogene
Hull City
It would be an excellent signing by Villa, especially as Raphinha is similar to one of the Premier League’s finest performers of last season – Phil Foden.
Why Raphinha could be Unai Emery’s very own Phil Foden
The Manchester City gem has won all there has to be won in the club game, despite just turning 24 in May.
Having made his debut under Pep Guardiola way back in 2017, the Englishman ended last season having scored 27 goals and registering 12 assists across all competitions.
He even finished fourth in the standings for goals in the top flight last term, while even being named the Premier League’s player of the season due to his stunning displays.
Therefore, adding someone to his squad who is similar to Foden could help Emery’s side next term.
According to FBref, Foden is the fourth-most comparable player to the Brazilian gem and, given how impressive the City sensation has been in recent years, it would be an excellent piece of business to sign Raphinha this summer.
Indeed, the pair even registered similar statistics in their respective leagues last season, which included assists (nine vs eight), shots per 90 (3.62 vs 3.31), shot-creating actions per 90 (5.86 vs 4.54), successful take-on percentage (52.2% vs 46.1%) and crosses (82 vs 89).
Lauded by former Barcelona boss Xavi as an “extraordinary player” in 2023, the Brazilian enjoyed a decent enough 2023/24, scoring ten goals and grabbing 13 assists for the Catalan club, despite starting just 25 matches in all competitions.
During his two seasons in the Premier League with Leeds United, the 27-year-old netted 17 goals while chipping in with 12 goal contributions, showing that he has the required abilities to shine in the English top flight.
This makes the signing a no-brainer, which could give Emery’s squad a major boost heading into their first-ever Champions League group stage campaign.
Diaby upgrade: Aston Villa confident of signing £50m star
He’d be something different to strengthen Unai Emery’s frontline.
1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 18, 2024
