Aston Villa supervisor Unai Emery shall be eager to make use of this summer time as an opportunity to convey a number of high-profile gamers to the Midlands.
The membership received’t play within the Champions League subsequent time period, however it will hopefully solely be a short-term blip so far as Emery is anxious.
Gamers comparable to Jadon Sancho, Tyler Dibling, and Barcelona star Fermin Lopez have been linked with a transfer to Villa Park this summer time.
All three could be wonderful signings, however maybe signing a centre-back ought to be the principle precedence so early within the switch window.
Aston Villa chase transfer for Barcelona defender
Lopez isn’t the one Barcelona participant that Emery is eager to convey to the Premier League this summer time.
Certainly, defender Andreas Christensen appears like he may very well be set to depart the La Liga giants, and Aston Villa are one of many golf equipment linked with a transfer for the centre-back, as per The Birmingham Mail.
The Dane has a 12 months left on his present deal, and the Catalan aspect may very well be set to simply accept bids of round €20m (£17m) for the participant. That is actually a far cry from his reported €500m launch clause, making it a possible cut price for the Villans.
On the time of writing, Villa have simply three senior centre-backs on their books. Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa are actually on the peak of their powers, however Tyrone Mings is 32 and seems to be on the wane.
Would possibly Christensen be an improve on the Englishman?
Why Aston Villa should signal Andreas Christensen
For the reason that begin of the 2023/24 marketing campaign, Mings has featured solely 23 occasions for Villa because of harm.
There is no such thing as a doubt the 32-year-old is a strong choice to name upon, however would possibly his time on the membership be coming to an finish?
Each Mings and Christensen have suffered their share of harm issues lately. To really examine the 2, it’s a must to return to the 2022/23 season.
Evaluating Mings and Christensen in 2022/23 per 90 (home stats solely) | ||
|---|---|---|
Metric | Mings | Christensen |
Correct passes | 46 | 61.1 |
Tackles | 0.4 | 0.9 |
Complete duels received | 3 | 3 |
Interceptions | 1.5 | 0.9 |
Clearances | 4.5 | 2 |
Possession misplaced | 8.6 | 4.5 |
Utilizing FBref, Christensen not solely registered extra photographs per 90 (0.51 vs 0.2) than Mings, however the Barcelona star additionally registered the next go completion proportion (94% vs 85.2%), received extra tackles (15 vs seven), tackled the next proportion of dribblers (62.5% vs 45%) and acquired fewer cautions (two vs seven) of their respective defensive leagues.
Though these stats could also be from a few seasons in the past, it proves that when each are match and wholesome, it’s Christensen who’s the higher participant.
Lauded as a “cheat code” by journalist Domagoj Kostanjsak in 2023, the previous Chelsea man racked up a complete of 93 Premier League appearances throughout his spell at Stamford Bridge.
Given the truth that he’s additionally three years youthful than Mings, bringing Christensen to Villa Park, particularly for a charge under £20m, may very well be a powerful piece of enterprise for Emery.
His qualities would enable Emery to signal a reliable defender who is aware of the highest flight inside out. Subsequently, it have to be a deal he’s seeking to full sooner somewhat than later.
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