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All of Aston Villa’s summer transfers have performed well this season, which proves that their recruitment strategy has been spot on.
Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby were the two big summer purchases, with both becoming important players.
However, there is one individual that Unai Emery didn’t have in his plans, which is a decision that could come back to bite the Spaniard.
Diaby became Villa’s club record signing in the summer as he swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League in a deal worth £51.9m.
The 24-year-old has been handed lots of opportunities by the former Arsenal boss, playing 34 games across all competitions, with a goal contribution record of 12.
Emery has been able to trust the attacker in multiple positions, whether it is on either flank or as a second striker behind Ollie Watkins, which is where he has mainly been deployed.
However, Diaby is often subbed off in the Premier League, as his average minutes per game is 62. Over his 24 league games, he’s scored four times and provided six assists.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star has been relatively impressive, but in truth, he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations of his record-breaking fee just yet.
Jaden Philogene-Bidace only made six appearances for Villa’s first team, registering two assists in the process. One of those came in the opening match against Newcastle United, when he was subbed on for Matty Cash minutes from time.
Nonetheless, the 22-year-old moved away from the club permanently in September, when he joined Hull City for just £5m, after numerous spells in the Championship at Cardiff City and Stoke City.
Since moving to the Tigers, the dazzling winger – who can operate on both flanks – has been extremely impressive, with his performances often being game-changing for his side.
The table below showcases his stats from this season, and how he compares to his positional peers.
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Philogene-Bidace 2023/24 Championship Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Philogene-Bidace |
League Percentile |
|
Goals |
0.46 |
Top 12% |
|
Assists |
0.33 |
Top 9% |
|
Successful dribbles |
2.90 |
Top 5% |
|
Shots total |
4.02 |
Top 1% |
|
Carries into final third |
3.03 |
Top 4% |
|
Touches (Att pen) |
6.45 |
Top 8% |
|
Tackles |
2.30 |
Top 11% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
As you can see, Philogene-Bidace is a "fantastic" player, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and he's been absolutely immense in the Championship this season, scoring seven goals and picking up five assists, which puts him among the elite category of wingers who can provide both creativity and goal-scoring threat – while also eclipsing Diaby's top-flight return.
The latest goal involvement came last night with the youngster pulling off an audacious rabona. On first viewing it looks as though it sails straight in but it takes a slight deflection and soars into the net, cruelly going down as an own goal.
Even still, that "unreal" piece of quality has showcased the full array of the playmaker's talents – as hailed by reporter Alex Howell – with it easy to see why the Hammersmith native had even "surprised" Emery during pre-season, in the words of Howell.
The England U21 international is extremely confident, as displayed by his high shot total and direct approach via his dribbling. The latter is where most of his creative magic stems from, as he can drive past opponents with a direct approach to reach the penalty box.
Philogene-Bidace would have suited Emery’s intense approach perfectly from an out-of-possession perspective, as he ranks in the top 11% for tackles, which shows he works extremely hard off the ball to regain control for his side.
Overall, selling the in-form whiz for just £5m without giving him a real opportunity to shine could just be one of the biggest mistakes the club has made in years, representing arguably the most notable blunder of a relatively serene stint in charge so far for Emery.
Arsenal are a team that, not too long ago, was seemingly stuck somewhere between eighth and fifth place in the Premier League, unable to drag themselves back to the glory of the early Arsène Wenger years and unlikely to fall all the way down to the bottom of the table.
However, the arrival of Mikel Arteta and Edu, combined with a renewed willingness to spend from Stan Kroenke, has seen the Gunners get back to a place in which they can genuinely compete for the top honours again.
This revival has been built off of several years of intelligent transfer business, and while incomings have generally been brilliant, there have been a few sales which, in retrospect, look ill-thought-out.
One in particular might've cost the club a pretty penny over the last year and a half.
The player in question is German shot-stopper and former Gooner, Bernd Leno.
Arsenal paid Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen £19m for the then-26-year-old's signature in June 2018 – during Unai Emery's first summer at the club – after he had made 304 appearances for Die Werkself, in which he kept 100 clean sheets.
While the 6 foot 2 keeper failed to make it into the Germany squad for the 2018 World Cup, he had already made six national team appearances before arriving in London and would go on to make three more in the following years.
The "extraordinary" number one, as Fulham boss Marco Silva described him, settled into life quickly in N5 and, after spending the first six games of the Premier League season on the bench, quickly established himself as the team's undisputed number one and made 36 appearances in that first season.
In his second season, the Bietigheim-Bissingen-born star would play just 32 games for the club after suffering that infamous injury at the hands of Neal Maupay in June, which left a space for Emiliano Martínez to come in and help the side lift the FA Cup a month later.
2020/21 would be Leno's final year as a regular starter for the club, as in the summer of 2021, Arteta sanctioned the £30m signing of Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United, who became the new number one and saw the German reduced to just eight appearances in 2021/22.
With his position within the team now clear, the former Bayer Leverkusen man pushed for a move in the summer and, with his desire to remain in London, was sold to Fulham for just £3m.
Leno started life in west London much the same way he did in north London, confidently.
The former Arsenal ace made 37 appearances in his first season at Craven Cottage, kept eight clean sheets and had the second-best save percentage – 77.1% – in the league, behind only David Raya at Brentford.
It has been another barnstorming campaign for the experienced professional this year, with 29 appearances and six clean sheets to his name, and he currently has the sixth-best save percentage in the league at 72.7%.
His impressive season and a half with the Cottagers has seen his value soar past his initial transfer fee, with Football Transfers Expected Transfer Model valuing the 31-year-old at around €15.5m, which is about £13m, or a 333% increase on what Arsenal initially sold him for in 2022.
Now, the Gunners did make an additional £2m from the deal following Fulham's survival last season and look set to make another £2m for the same reason this year, plus £1m for reaching a certain number of appearances. Still, even then, they could have made another £5m at least, had they sold him closer to his true value instead of letting him leave on the cheap.
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Ultimately, the Gunners made their choice when they allowed the German to join Fulham in 2022, and while it won't go down as a cataclysmic failure, it is an example of the club failing to sell their unwanted stars efficiently.
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Tottenham Hotspur chiefs apparently rate one club's 25-year-old star in very high esteem, with the north Londoners now readying talks to sign him.
Ange Postecoglou's debut season in the Spurs dugout has proved excellent thus far.
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The Lilywhites are locked in a fierce battle with Aston Villa for a place in the top four and qualification for the Champions League next season, and while the overall success of Postecoglou's campaign will hinder on their finish to 2023/2024, it's safe to say Spurs have been a far more exciting watch under the Australian.
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Tottenham's last five league games under Postecoglou |
|---|
|
Spurs 3-1 Crystal Palace |
|
Spurs 1-2 Wolves |
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Spurs 2-1 Brighton |
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Everton 2-2 Spurs |
|
Spurs 3-2 Brentford |
He's implemented a high-pressing, fast-paced and electric brand of football since his arrival from Celtic last summer, and it's won over large sections of the fan base. The feeling around N17 has greatly changed since the last days of Antonio Conte, with the north London club holding a greater appeal to players in the transfer market as a result.
Tottenham sensationally beat European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the signings of Radu Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall in January, and Spurs have been named as contenders for in-demand Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the summer as well.
Reports suggest that, no matter what happens in regards to their top-four push, Postecoglou will be backed with new Tottenham signings later this year.
One of the key areas which Tottenham want to strengthen is in defence, with there being a belief that they wish to sign another centre-back after Dragusin. Spurs apparently want two "top level" centre-backs across 2024, and one player said to be attracting their interest is Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.
According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, Tottenham are readying talks with Kelly ahead of the summer window. The Englishman will be a free agent as things stand, meaning Spurs can sign him without paying a penny to Bournemouth. However, Postecoglou faces stiff competition for Kelly, as Liverpool and Newcastle United are also eyeing a move.
Clubs abroad, like contenders AC Milan, Juventus and "multiple" sides from Germany, can agree to a pre-contract as rules dictate overseas clubs can commence official negotiations over personal terms right now.
That being said, those within Spurs rate the 25-year-old highly. As per Veysey, club chiefs are "convinced" that Kelly would be a "strong option" for next season. The "rapid" Cherries ace, who can play both as a full-back and in the centre, was a target for Spurs last summer.
Indeed, Tottenham made a concerted effort to bring in Kelly on deadline day but to no avail, with chairman Daniel Levy now handed the chance to bring him in for nothing soon.
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There hasn't been much to criticise about Arsenal since Mikel Arteta and Edu arrived in north London but one area they need to improve in is player sales.
It's historically been an area of business the Gunners have struggled to thrive in, selling players below their market value, unable to generate many funds to subsequently spend themselves in the transfer market.
Granit Xhaka departed the Emirates to the tune of just £21.4m last summer while Rob Holding, whatever you think of him, is surely worth more than the measly £4m fee attached to his move to Crystal Palace. Alas, Arsenal have made do. You can hardly say they've spent that money in the market unwisely.
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Arsenal's record sales |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Club signed for |
Transfer fee |
|
#5 Emmanuel Adebayor |
Man City |
£25m |
|
#4 Cesc Fabregas |
Barcelona |
£34m |
|
#3 Alex Iwobi |
Everton |
£35m |
|
#2 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain |
Liverpool |
£35m |
|
#1 Folarin Balogun |
Monaco |
£38m |
That said, the deal surrounding Folarin Balogun's departure has to be celebrated from a business point of view.
Balogun was always a prolific figure at youth level for Arsenal. For the U18s he scored 38 goals in 41 outings. For the U21s, the young striker bagged 37 in 62.
Therefore, when the American-born forward began to thrive out on loan last season it didn't really come as a shock.
Plying his trade with Stade Reims in Ligue 1, the now 22-year-old was simply on fire. Balogun found the net on 22 occasions in 39 outings. For a player who had struggled previously in senior football with Middlesbrough, scoring just three times in 21 games, it was mightily impressive.
However, Balogun wasn't happy to just sit on the bench. He wanted first-team football and with Gabriel Jesus clearly ahead of him in the pecking order was sold for a seismic £38m. It marks a huge success for the Hale End Academy, to bring a player through the ranks to then sell on for a huge fee.
Unfortunately, it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows for the attacker since departing London on a permanent transfer.
The striker headed back to France last summer, moving to Monaco where great things were expected of him having thrived in France throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Sadly, Balogun hasn't hit the same heights during an inconsistent first term in the principality. In 23 games, he has scored six goals and supplied five assists. Those aren't awful numbers, of course, but for someone who was so prolific last season you'd expect better.
Fans wanted the New York City-born star to get a chance in the Arsenal senior squad but it's safe to say they haven't missed him. They do sit top of the Premier League after all.
Such a sale has left some questioning how Edu and Co could generate a similar sum of money. Players like Aaron Ramsdale and Eddie Nketiah have been widely tipped to move away in the summer but there is a left-field option who could be used to generate a hefty payday; Mika Biereth.
Biereth perhaps isn't a name with as much hype attached to it as Balogun's but he's still a supreme looking forward. To suggest he could be sold for anything close to £38m would be a stretch but there is certainly a player in there.
Like Balogun, the 21-year-old, who holds Danish and British citizenship, has been on fire during loan spells away from the club.
The young forward began the campaign in Scotland with Motherwell where six goals and five assists were tallied up in 15 games, coincidentally matching Balogun's total from this season. That temporary move was cut short over the winter with Biereth moving to Sturm Graz in Austria.
He has set the Austrian Bundesliga alight, scoring eight goals in 11 outings for his new club to date. The former Fulham youth product has been particularly impressive in Europe, netting three times in the Europa Conference League.
|
Mika Biereth's form this season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Team |
Motherwell |
Sturm Graz |
|
Appearances |
15 |
11 |
|
Minutes |
1045' |
773' |
|
Goals |
6 |
8 |
|
Assists |
5 |
1 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
If this is a sign of things to come then it'll be exciting to see him develop. Comparisons to both Erling Haaland and Harry Kane should also throw a few million onto any prospective transfer fee.
Speaking to the media a few weeks ago, the Denmark youth international commented: "Like Haaland, all I really care about is scoring goals. If you’d offer me two touches of the ball and two goals I’d take that. For me, it’s all about scoring goals.
“[But] there are different aspects of the game when scoring goals isn’t possible when the ball is deep so then it’s about combining, linking the play, holding the ball up like Kane does. Those are the two different variables on the pitch.”
Whether Arsenal decide to have a look at Biereth in the summer remains to be seen but either way, he will need to prove himself in a league with more quality first, just as Balogun did.
That said, you can't totally knock Austrian football. It was a country where a certain Haaland learnt his trade, notably scoring 29 in 27 for RB Salzburg.
There is a slim chance that Arsenal's rising Hale End star reaches the same illustrious heights but they will no doubt win from his impressive development.
Biereth either becomes a first-team regular or he guarantees them a healthy slice of cash as Balogun did. That doesn't sound too bad, does it?
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Aston Villa are now planning to accept an offer for a big earner who isn’t in Unai Emery’s plans.
It has been a busy first full season in charge for Emery, who has his side pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League ahead of Tottenham and Manchester United. It comes after two productive transfer windows, with NSWE backing the Spaniard in the market with a number of new additions.
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Now, attention already seems to be on who Villa could be looking to sign ahead of the 2024/25 season, where they will be hoping to offer Champions League football.
Two high-profile players to be linked with a move to Villa Park have been Paulo Dybala and Mario Hermoso. Villa are thought to be leading the race at this moment in time for Dybala, whereas talks have been held to sign centre-back Hermoso on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid.
However, to comply with FFP, a plethora of exits may also be required in the Midlands, and it looks as if one player will be forced out over the summer.
It has been revealed recently by Fabrizio Romano that Leander Dendoncker is set to return to the Midlands in the summer, with his Napoli loan spell being nothing short of a disaster. The Serie A side had an option to make a move permanent at the end of the season, but the Belgian has played just 21 minutes across three appearances.
Now, according to Football Insider, Villa are ready to accept a bid for Dendoncker as he has ‘no future’ at the club.
It is believed that Emery doesn’t feel Dendoncker ‘has the energy and dynamism to thrive in his system’, with a permanent Villa Park exit now on the cards. The versatile 28-year-old, who is picking up around £90,000-a-week, is under contract with Villa until 2026.
Signed from Wolves back on deadline day back in 2022 when Steven Gerrard was still in charge, Dendoncker’s move across the Midlands hasn’t worked out, with the player turning out just 36 times for Villa.
He arrived with plenty of hope from Gerrard, who said: “A lot of players are in the situation where they fall out of a manager’s first choice, if you like, they obviously start thinking about World Cup situations and it came up late. This is a player who’s played for Wolves for many seasons who have finished high up in the league so he knows what it takes.
"He’s also been a part of one of the best international teams for the last few years so we’re hoping he can add some much-needed quality and support to our players.”
Prior to his loan move to Italy in January, Dendoncker made just one Premier League start under Emery this season, and it looks as if his appearance against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup will be his last in a Villa shirt.