There’s no doubting the fact that when Urai Emery took over managing Aston Villa in November 2022 things were in a bad way. Steven Gerrard had failed to translate his magical on-pitch ability into management skills and it seemed like relegation could have been a real possibility.
There were highs and lows to Emery’s first season in charge. The former included the team’s first win over Manchester United since 1995, the latter included being knocked out of the FA Cup by EFL League Two team Stevenage, but the positives greatly outweighed the negatives, and the crowning glory of the Spaniard’s first season in charge was qualification for the Europa Conference League.
Going from strength to strength
The 2023-24 season saw Emery, and Villa, building on and consolidating all the successes of the previous one. Before it even started, there were some major changes at the club. Emery lured Sevilla’s Monchi over to become President of Football Operations, alongside the newly appointed Damian Vidagany as Director of Football Operations. There were also two major signings – Pau Torres from Villarreal for £33 million and Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen. The fee for Diaby has never been disclosed but it’s thought to have been over £50 million, easily breaking the club’s transfer record.
The start to the season was inauspicious – a 5-1 defeat by Newcastle United – but this proved to be a blip. By the end of the season, Villa had achieved a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, taking them into the top tier of European football for the 2024-25 season. They also enjoyed considerable success in Europe, reaching the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, losing 6-2 on aggregate to the eventual winners, Olympiacos. So looking forward to next season, they will be hoping to build on these foundations, but there are challenges ahead.
Areas for improvement
The added pressure of top-flight European football is going to make it even harder than before to keep the squad fighting fit. Last season was dogged by injuries and this affected how Emery was able to rotate the team without adversely affecting performance. This led to situations in which Leon Bailey found himself playing out of position at left wing with Matty Cash on the right. Without the injuries of Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamari, this might never have been necessary. Bailey himself wasn’t 100% fit, playing through several games with his knee heavily strapped.
The midfield is where extra strength will be needed, especially as Kamara is expected to be sidelined through a tricky ACL injury and defence will also need some attention to support Lucas Digne. This could also be a great opportunity for Kosta Nedeljkovic to secure a regular first-team place. With Champions League requirements very much in mind, Aston Villa may well be the underdogs, in the eyes of the sports betting world at least, but with some shrewd moves, Emery could put the team in a stronger position to succeed.
Looking at the summer transfer options
Emery’s job would be considerably easier if he had limitless funds at his disposal. Unfortunately, several factors will mean this isn’t the case. The first of these is the fact that back in March the club announced a £119.6 million loss. This was thanks to a rising wages bill, both on and off the pitch – with Diaby’s mammoth transfer fee also being a major expense. Spending on new players to bolster the squad is also likely to be hampered by the need to follow the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules which limit permissible losses to a maximum of £105 million over a rolling three-year period. That said, the improved status of Villa as a club means that it should be in a position to attract an even higher calibre of players than before, including ones with ambitions for European success.
Who’s in the frame?
It seems that the process is already well underway with the probable signing of Ross Barkley, the Luton Town midfielder, for a reported £5 million. They are also said to be showing an interest in Chelsea and England’s Conor Gallagher whose own club have their own concerns about staying within PSR guidelines. A more ambitious target is Assan Ouédraogo, the Schalke 04 midfielder who is also attracting attention from Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle, as well as from RB Leipzig and Frankfurt.
Villarreal’s Alex Baena could also be in Emery and Monchi’s sights as he is said to be unhappy about his current team’s failure to qualify for European competition. So these promise to be an interesting couple of months in the lead-up to the 2024-25 season. Rumours are certain to circulate and a number of deals are sure to be done. Then comes the challenge for the team to live up to expectations raised by their performance so far.
