Aston Villa have made some impressive signings during the current summer transfer window, using their stature as a Champions League side to lure the likes of Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana to the Midlands.
Unai Emery has missed out on a few players, however, with one recently moving to the Premier League, joining Chelsea – João Félix.
Aston Villa's interest in João Félix
With the signings of Onana and Maatsen signalling a big statement of intent by Villa, Emery was keen to ramp it up a notch by bringing Felix to the club before the end of the transfer window.
As recently as the end of July, Emery was showing plenty of interest in signing the Portuguese star, as reported by Sky Sports news editor Lyall Thomas.
He had spent last season on loan at Barcelona, and it was clear Felix’s future lay away from Atlético Madrid, with Emery viewing the playmaker as a 'dream target'.
Having secured a spot in Europe’s premier club competition, Emery was using that as an incentive to sign the former Benfica starlet, but when Chelsea began to flash the cash, it was all over.
He joined the Blues – 18 months after ending a brief loan spell at Stamford Bridge – for a fee of £46.3m, ending Villa’s pursuit.
The Spaniard could forget all about him by making a late swoop for Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling instead, however.
Raheem Sterling’s 2023/24 season in numbers
As reported earlier this week, Villa have held talks with Sterling over a proposed move to the Midlands before the window slams shut on Friday evening.
The winger, who is earning £325k-per-week at the Blues, would make for a lively addition to the current Villa squad, allowing Emery to add some depth to his attacking options.
Goals
8
Assists
4
Big chances created
7
Key passes per game
1
Successful dribbles per game
1.5
Shots per game
1.6
His experience in the Champions League could come in handy. During his career, Sterling has scored 27 goals and registered 17 assists in 82 appearances in the competition.
Despite Chelsea’s dismal campaign, Sterling still registered 18 goal contributions in all competitions for the club.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, the Englishman ranked in the top 8% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.4), while also ranking in the top 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (7.47), showcasing his attacking qualities in a side who were struggling.
These traits could make him a standout performer for Emery should he sign the winger. During England’s Euro 2020 campaign, Gareth Southgate hailed Sterling, saying: "He's been immense for us over three, four years. He knows we have the faith in him, that trust in him. His performances have been electric."
High praise for the winger and there is no doubt he could become key to Villa’s assault on reaching the top four yet again in the Premier League, while also allowing Emery to forget all about the failed capture of Felix.
While he may cost a pretty penny and demand a high wage, Sterling’s abilities would make him more than worth the money.
The next few days could prove to be exciting indeed.
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