Aston Villa have yet to make their first signing of the summer, but could that change in the next week or two?
Ross Barkley looks set to arrive but Unai Emery is also eyeing up a reunion with one of his former players after a frustrating season in which they didn’t play many minutes.
Aston Villa transfer news
According to Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), Villa are keen on making a move for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso this summer in a bid to improve the squad.
Emery managed the Argentinian talent during spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Villarreal, so he clearly knows how to get the best out of a player who hasn’t quite lived up to his vast potential at Spurs.
The report states that Lo Celso is ‘willing to join’ Villa in a bid to secure regular first-team football as he looks to join the project Emery has going in the Midlands.
With a year left on his contract, this could be the perfect time for Emery to make a concrete move for the player, especially as Douglas Luiz could be on his way out of Villa Park.
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Luiz is attracting attention from Arsenal and the Gunners will need to stump up a fee of around £50m if they wish to sign him this summer, according to the Mirror.
While it looks as though the Brazilian will depart the Midlands sooner rather than later, might Lo Celso fill the gap left by Luiz?
|
Douglas Luiz vs Giovani Lo Celso in the PL 2023/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
||
|
Goals |
9 |
2 |
|
Assists |
5 |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.5 |
0.8 |
|
Big chances created |
10 |
1 |
|
Pass success rate |
89% |
92% |
The former Manchester City gem registered 20 goal contributions last term – ten goals and ten assists – which could be difficult to replace in the midfield area.
Lo Celso is not exactly known for his goalscoring abilities. The last time he scored more than four goals in a single season was during the 2018/19 campaign for Real Betis.
That said, he could offer other qualities as evidenced by FBref. Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the 28-year-old currently ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes (12.09), progressive carries (4.45) and assists (0.36) per 90.
Also sitting in the top 3% for shot-creating actions (4.98) per 90 and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area (3.38) per 90, it showcases how dangerous he can be when moving the ball forward into the final third and creating chances for others.
With Luiz only ranking in the top 42% for progressive passes and the best 30% for progressive carries, clearly an upgrade in some areas could be sourced here.
French commentator Raph Chader previously hailed the Spurs dynamo as “exceptional” and if given a starting berth under Emery, there is no doubt he could shine.
During his career, the 5 foot 9 gem has played the most games for Emery, scoring eight goals and grabbing 12 assists across 88 matches during spells in Spain and France, which shows how well he likes to perform under the Spaniard.
The former Betis maestro hasn’t enjoyed much success in London since arriving in the Premier League back in 2019, but perhaps a fresh start at Villa could help him to showcase his true abilities.
Emery could well be looking for a Luiz replacement soon and Lo Celso fits the bill nicely.