Aston Villa are certainly acting fast with regard to doing the majority of their business before pre-season starts.
Unai Emery is on the verge of selling Douglas Luiz to Juventus, with an agreement in place that will see Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior move in the opposite direction as part of the deal with the Italian side.
Furthermore, Villa are also close to selling youth prospect Omari Kellyman to Chelsea, while another exciting talent, Tim Iroegbunam, has moved to Everton.
Of course, the club have been forced to sell players before the end of the month in order to comply with financial fair play regulations, plus the money raised from sales will allow Emery to sign a few players this summer.
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The Spaniard is showing interest in a few new additions to his squad in order to bolster his midfield options.
Aston Villa close to signing another midfielder
Although there have been a few players moving on, Emery is close to sealing a deal to sign Ross Barkley.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who said on X: “Aston Villa are prepared to enter into formal stages of Ross Barkley deal after agreement with Luton Town.
“Fee around £5m, contract details already agreed and now waiting on medical.”
This could be a smart piece of transfer business by Emery. Barkley knows the Premier League well, has played for Villa before and for such a bargain price, could add some much-needed depth to the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
If the club do sign the Luton man, he could follow another midfielder to Villa Park…
Aston Villa's other midfield targets
According to the Express, Villa are eyeing up a move for a Real Sociedad midfielder, Brais Mendez, as Emery seeks to improve his options in the middle of the pitch.
They have reportedly made contact with his entourage ahead of making a swoop, but they face some serious competition to secure his signature.
Manchester United are keen along with Serie A sides Juventus and AS Roma, meaning the playmaker has no shortage of options should he wish to leave Sociedad this summer.
Mendez has a release clause of £52m and this would break Villa’s transfer record for a player, overtaking the £51.9m they splashed on Moussa Diaby last term.
With the 27-year-old at the peak of his powers, Emery could strengthen his side by signing the player, especially with Champions League football on the horizon.
Moussa Diaby
£52m
Bayer Leverkusen
Emilano Buendia
£38m
Norwich City
Pau Torres
£33m
Villarreal
Leon Bailey
£30m
Bayer Leverkusen
Ollie Watkins
£28m
Brentford
How Brais Mendez compares to Ross Barkley
Aged 29, Barkley is certainly nearer the end of his career rather than the beginning. Might the capture of Mendez prove to be a better deal for Villa in the long run? Indeed, the Spaniard enjoyed a more productive season during 2023/24, especially in front of goal.
The Sociedad gem thrives either as a number ten or out wide, where he can showcase his excellent attacking abilities, whereas Barkley tended to occupy a deeper position, either in the heart of the midfield or just in front of the defence for Luton Town last term. That said, he first started out as an energetic attacking midfielder with an eye for goal.
The Englishman still managed to record five goals and six assists across all competitions in what was a solid season for the Hatters, thus earning a move to Villa Park, but Mendez enjoyed a far more fruitful season in the final third.
In 44 matches for Sociedad, Mendez scored eight goals while registering nine assists, which included four goal contributions in the Champions League against the likes of Inter Milan and Benfica, demonstrating how effective he can be in Europe’s premier club competition.
Brais can count the likes of key passes, direct free-kicks and through balls as major strengths according to WhoScored, while Barkley can count aerial duels, concentration and dribbling as his, which suggests the pair offer different sets of skills.
With the likes of Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans all slotting into the heart of the midfield, Emery is clearly well-endowed in this area.
With regard to a proper number ten, however, Mendez could fit into this slot with ease and become one of Emery’s finest signings this summer.
Brais Mendez’s season in numbers for Sociedad
Mendez has been wonderful in front of goal, but he also offers many more qualities going forward.
Among his teammates, Mendez ranked first for shots on goal (2.1) in La Liga last season, while also ranking second for big chances created (nine), second for key passes per game (1.3) and sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.8), again, evidence of his tremendous attacking capabilities which could serve Villa well next term.
It wasn’t just among his own squad that the midfielder sparkled either. Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Mendez currently ranks in the top 3% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.25), the top 10% for assists per 90 (0.21) and in the top 2% for total shots per 90 (2.42), proving he was one of the best in his position across these three attacking metrics.
Emery has had plenty of success at recruiting from Spain. Alex Moreno has been a solid option at left-back since January 2023, while Pau Torres acquainted himself well with the Premier League during his debut season, winning over half of his total duels and finishing the campaign with an 88% pass success rate.
Mendez – lauded as a “smooth operator” by journalist Zach Lowy – could become the latest Spanish talent to move to the Midlands and make a name for himself in the English top flight.
£52m is certainly a lot of money, but if the manager is serious about continuing Villa’s progression in the Premier League, plus being competitive in the Champions League, then investment is vital.
It might not work out, but given how well he has done in Spain over the previous 12 months, it looks as though Mendez could thrive in England, improving even more as a player under the watchful eye of Emery.
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