Aston Villa are at a key point in their journey under Unai Emery. After qualifying for the Champions League with a fourth-place Premier League finish, it’s time to get serious.
Of course, competitive club football will not begin until mid-August, but in the meantime, there must be some intelligent and deliberate transfer market activity.
Ross Barkley is set to return to Villa Park after a season on loan under Dean Smith in 2020/21. However, Monchi is looking for a dynamic offensive prospect.
Aston Villa Transfer News
According to Spanish sources, Aston Villa are interested in signing Barcelona winger Raphinha. The La Liga giants would be hesitant to part ways due to concerns about finding a replacement, but he is valued at €60 million (£52 million), and such a deal may be too enticing to turn down.
Emery’s club will face Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester United, but neither of them can give Villa what they do: Champions League football.
How Raphinha could fit in at Aston Villa
Raphinha, who signed from Leeds United for up to £55 million in 2022, had 20 goals and 25 assists in 87 outings for Barcelona, helping them win the 2022/23 La Liga title.
At 27 years old, he is keen to play a prominent role that reflects his patent quality, characterised as a “magician” by former Whites colleague Dan James. He has only started 43 league matches in the past two campaigns.
Raphinha’s performance in Catalonia has been impressive, ranking among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, 1% for assists, and 12% for shot-creating actions per 90, according to FBref.
If the Brazilian can bring such abilities back to the Premier League, Villa will have a valuable commodity to help them gain a place among Europe’s best.
| Raphinha: Most Similar PL Players | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 1. | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal |
| 2. | Cole Palmer | Chelsea |
| 3. | Phil Foden | Manchester City |
| 4. | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool |
| 5. | Eberechi Eze | Crystal Palace |
| Sourced via FBref | ||
Raphinha, a 5’9 winger, is a natural fit for Emery’s side, having scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 34 Premier League starts for Leeds during his previous season in England.
Raphinha would primarily sit on the right and try to utilise his playmaking abilities by blasting twisting balls over unfortunate heads and threading surgical passes through to the forward-surging Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.
To accomplish this, he would need to find a spectacular companion from deep in the aforementioned Barkley, who Sky Sports commentator Paul Merson described as “not far off Player of the Season” following his excellent season with Luton Town.
According to Sofascore, Barkley scored five goals and four assists in 32 top-flight games in 2023/24, completing 85% of his passes and averaging 1.5 crucial passes, tackles and clearances, 2.1 dribbles, 6.3 ball recoveries, and 6.1 successful duels per game.
In Europe’s top five leagues, the 6 foot 2 English midfielder ranks in the top 15% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90. He uses his speed and power to rent open midfield structures, allowing Raphinha to play freely.
With these additions, Emery’s system may be able to transition through the phases and fire on all cylinders next season, both locally and internationally.
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