Aston Villa’s hopes of reaching their first European final in over 40 years took a major hit on Thursday evening, succumbing to Olympiacos 4-2 at Villa Park.
The first leg of their Europa Conference League clash against the Greek giants was supposed to end in a victory for the home team, taking an advantage back to Greece, yet it didn’t quite go as planned.
Of course, a place in the final is not out of reach, but they will need to vastly improve next week in order to fight back from a 4-2 deficit.
Unai Emery’s side are still in charge of their own destiny, in both Europe and the Premier League, but big performances will be needed over the coming weeks to end the season on a high.
The Spaniard will have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window. If Villa do secure qualification for the Champions League, then he will need to make a few more signings to help bolster his squad.
Aston Villa transfer news
According to Football Insider, Villa reportedly want to sign Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho in the summer.
The centre-forward has rejected an offer of a contract extension at the Foxes which would see him extend his stay, but it now appears as though this will be his final season with the club.
Emery will have some money to spend in the window, but adding a few players on free transfers will help him utilise his budget far better in the hopes of signing genuinely top-class players who can take the Midlands side to the next level.
The Spaniard signed Youri Tielemans from the Foxes last summer on a free transfer and luring the Nigerian international to the club could allow Emery to repeat that blinder, no doubt about it.
Youri Tielemans’ stats for Aston Villa this season
The Belgian midfielder had shone during his time at Leicester, making nearly 200 appearances for the club since joining in 2018 from AS Monaco.
During that time, he scored 28 goals along with chipping in with 26 assists, and the Foxes faithful will forever remember his wonderful striker during the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea to see the club win the trophy for the first time.
Metric
Conference League
Premier League
Goals
1
1
Assists
1
6
Key passes per game
1.4
0.6
Big chances created
1
5
Successful dribbles per game
0.3
0.5
It appeared as though Villa had secured one of the bargains of the summer when it was announced he had joined the club, giving Emery the chance to work with a sublime midfielder who was heading into his peak years.
Despite the initial excitement, the 26-year-old had to wait until November to make his first Premier League start for the club, undergoing a rocky introduction to life at Villa Park.
Since the turn of the year, however, he has started 12 league matches while playing key roles in their European ties against Ajax and Lille, which has seen them reach the semi-finals of the Conference League.
Tielemans currently ranks seventh among the Villa squad for big chances created (four) in the Premier League, along with ranking sixth for goals and assists (seven), seventh for tackles (1.3) per game and 16th for possession lost per game (6.6), showcasing his talent across a range of metrics for the club this term.
Although he endured a tough start, it is beginning to look like the midfielder is enjoying his football again as he emerges as a key player under Emery.
Signing Iheanacho could be a solid addition to the first-team squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
How Kelechi Iheanacho could fit it in at Villa
The main area in which Emery needs to strengthen is with regard to his attacking options. Yes, Ollie Watkins has enjoyed a sensational season, scoring 27 goals, and registering 12 assists, but if he suffers an injury, Villa don’t have much in the way of backup.
Jhon Duran has failed to hit the ground running during the current campaign, netting only six times in all competitions.
Iheanacho has plenty of Premier League experience first and foremost, which will be a big bonus for Emery. In stints with Leicester and Man City, the 27-year-old has played close to 200 games in the English top flight, scoring 42 goals along with racking up a further 26 assists, a decent enough strike rate in terms of a reliable backup option.
The striker hasn’t quite enjoyed the finest of seasons with the Foxes, however, finding the back of the net just six times, although he has played only three Championship matches since the turn of the year.
Despite averaging just 42 minutes per game and starting ten league games throughout 2023/24, the centre-forward has still managed to score five times, creating three big chances while succeeding with 58% of his dribble attempts – 0.6 per game – suggesting that he has still shown glimpses of his talents when given the opportunity to do so.
The 6 foot 1 striker has been dubbed “prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past and certainly has the pedigree to step up whenever Watkins needs a rest, or dare we say it, suffers an injury.
He may not be the big-name signing that is expected this summer, but Emery will have to be realistic as to who he goes and spends money on, especially if the club wish to comply with financial fair play regulations.
This means a few bargains will have to be found and Iheanacho definitely fits the bill in that regard.
Not only does he have a host of experience in the top flight, but he can even drop slightly deeper if required, depending on how Emery will set up next season.
Adding another centre-forward or two will be a priority this summer for the manager in order to ease the burden on Watkins. The Englishman is a fantastic player, but he can’t do everything on his own, thus indicating the need for a couple of others to chip in when he isn’t at the races.
On a free transfer, Iheanacho sounds like a superb investment – as Tielemans has proven to be.
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