Summary Aston Villa's success under Unai Emery led to a rise in the Premier League and a spot in the Champions League. The club navigated the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules, making strategic transfers. Joao Felix is being considered as a potential replacement for Philippe Coutinho, offering a unique dimension to Aston Villa's attack.
It might feel like Aston Villa raised their game in lockstep with the 2022/23 campaign's success of Newcastle United, but Unai Emery orchestrated his own triumph and then some.
Villa were in disarray when the Spaniard replaced Steven Gerrard, who left Villa Park with his head hung low after a shambolic nosedive in form at the start of the 2022/23 campaign. They have since skyrocketed toward a term in the Europa Conference League before finishing fourth in the Premier League last year to clinch a spot in next year's Champions League.
While the Premier League's profitability and sustainability (PSR) rules have made the first phase of the transfer window and tough and gruelling ordeal, Monchi and Co have earned their laurels after successfully navigating the issue.
Frankly, the Midlands club knew that this critical juncture was approaching, having shown lucrative ambition over recent years to rise to the fore. While Douglas Luiz and a handful of youth prospects have been sold, there are still one or two outgoings to be made before further spending can be enforced.
Aston Villa transfer news
Ross Barkley, Enzo Barrenechea, Samuel Iling-Junior, and Ian Maatsen have all completed transfers to Aston Villa and there is more on the horizon.
There may, however, be some more departures to follow Luiz's transfer to Juventus. Jacob Ramsey continues to be linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, while the £100k-per-week Diego Carlos could leave to save on wages.
Then, of course, is Philippe Coutinho's imminent exit. The Brazilian playmaker is heading back to his homeland to rejoin his boyhood club, Vasco da Gama. How much of the 32-year-old's £135k-per-week will be covered by the Brasileiro Serie A side is uncertain, but it's a necessary move for a disappointing flop.
Who will replace him though? Well, according to prominent journalist Duncan Castles, the Villans are among the contenders to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, who has recently completed a one-year loan move with Barcelona.
Benfica have offered €32.5m (£27.5m) to bring the Portuguese international back to the club but Villa are also considering a swoop and could add a unique dimension to his frontline by completing this ambitious transfer.
How Joao Felix performed at Barcelona
Atletico Madrid completed the signing of Felix for a staggering £113m fee in 2019, with the young and highly-talented forward earning acclaim during his maiden days with Benfica, with journalist Jose Delgado even proclaiming after the deal: "Since Ronaldo, we have not had a player so exciting and young like him until now."
2022/23
20 (11)
5
3
2021/22
35 (22)
10
6
2020/21
40 (23)
10
6
2019/20
36 (28)
9
3
As the table above will show you, Felix's overall role and importance to Colchoneros hardly reflects the exorbitant price that was paid for his services, loaned out to Chelsea for the latter half of the 2022/23 campaign before moving to La Liga rivals Barcelona last summer.
And it is his performances in Catalonia that have replanted the seed of hope that a high-level player could yet bloom. He enjoyed comparative success under Xavi, scoring ten goals and adding six assists across just 24 starting appearances and was praised by Atlético president Enrique Cerezo Torres as "one of the best players in Europe".
In the Spanish top flight, as per Sofascore, the 24-year-old completed 84% of his passes, created six big chances and averaged one dribble per game as he showcased his technical soundness and progressive abilities.
Moreover, the left-sided midfielder ranked among the top 8% of positional peers in La Liga last season for goals scored, the top 13% for pass completion, the top 22% for progressive passes and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref.
Such metrics prove that Felix does have a goalscoring Midas touch that can be channelled effectively, After all, he was brought to Chelsea for a short-term stint – in volatile conditions – but still scored four goals and averaged 1.4 dribbles per game across only 11 starting displays in the Premier League.
Villa, conversely, can offer a solid, purposeful foundation that could be perfect for Felix. A highly technical and skilful player, the 5 foot 11 phenom could make a marked improvement on an already-thriving Villa attack, having been hailed as "a nightmare for defenders" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
His silky-smooth movements offer more toward his creativity than his actual ball-playing, but by dragging opponents away from the centre and toward the touchline, he will create space for his peers, in turn using his own mobility and spatial awareness to enter pockets in the final third and strike on goal – harnessing the clinical edge that has been evidenced through his goalscoring rate – 0.47 per 90 – over the last year at Barcelona.
In this regard, he could be the perfect replacement for the aforementioned Coutinho, who only made two substitute displays in the Premier League last term before being shipped out on loan to Qatari side Al-Duhail.
Matches played
19
20
Matches started
16
7
Goals
5
1
Assists
3
0
Pass completion
83%
78%
Key passes per game
1.3
0.4
Dribbles per game
1.1
0.7
Duels won per game
3.3
2.5
For all his quality, Coutinho's success at Villa Park after joining from Barcelona was fleeting, with the table above highlighting just how dramatic his decline was, regressing across a number of key metrics.
But the left-leaning attacking midfielder's gifted ability and willingness to drive forward and create positive scenarios for his team suggest that Felix could grow into the perfect successor, offering Emery's first team a unique and influential cog to ensure that the Midlands club continue their ascendancy and maintain their exponential growth.
Aston Villa racing to sign £49m star who could become their own Gordon
This would be a significant statement of intent at Villa Park.
ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2024
Therefore, Villa could land a big upgrade on the former Liverpool side by beating off competition from Benfica to secure a deal for the Portuguese starlet before the end of the summer transfer window.