Aston Villa are set for an exciting 2024/25 season as they get ready to return to the Champions League.
Indeed, it will be the first time they have played in the competition since its rebranding from the European Cup. Their previous two campaigns came in 1981/82, a season they lifted the trophy, and 1982/83, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
The start to the Premier League season has been mixed for Unai Emery’s side. The Villans won their first game, away to West Ham United. They ran out 2-1 victors, thanks to goals from Amadou Onana on debut and a late winner from Jhon Duran.
Gameweek two for the Villans saw them lose 2-0 against Arsenal, in what was the first game at Villa Park this term. Second-half goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey helped Mikel Arteta’s side to all three points. Despite the result, the hosts performed well and created some good opportunities against one of the Premier League’s toughest opponents.
With a big term coming up, Villa may well look to add to their eight signings so far and bring in another fresh face to wear that famous claret and blue shirt as they prepare for a return amongst Europe’s elite.
Aston Villa target Premier League striker
One of the players whom the Villans have been linked with in recent days is Everton and England international striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The striker’s future has been up in the air all summer, and he could still depart the club this summer.
According to a report from Caught Offside, the 27-year-old striker has been one of the players ‘discussed internally’ by those at Villa Park. The report suggests that the Englishman might become available, and is out of the Toffees plans for this season and beyond.
The Everton number nine has come close to departing Goodison Park this summer already, with Newcastle United pulling out of a £40m deal. According to Sky Sports, the Magpies thought that was too high of a price for Calvert-Lewin given he has just 12 months left on his current deal.
Thus, the door for a move to Villa Park could be open, and the Midlands side could launch a bid before Friday’s deadline. However, it is not clear at this stage if he would still cost £40m so close to Deadline Day, or if the Villans could sign him cheaper.
Why Calvert-Lewin would be a good signing
Although the past few seasons have not been easy for the Toffees forward, he has still proven that he knows where the back of the net is. The England international scored seven goals and grabbed two assists in 32 games last term, although that tally is some way off his best top-flight season.
In the 2020/21 campaign, the Sheffield-born striker played 33 games in the Premier League, getting on the scoresheet 16 times and getting one assist. It was a season in which he came joint-fifth in the Golden Boot race.
Harry Kane
35
23
Mohamed Salah
37
22
Bruno Fernandes
37
18
Son Heung-min
37
17
Patrick Bamford
38
17
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
33
16
He is a tall centre-forward, standing at around 6 foot 2, and is superb in the air as well as in the penalty box, as his goalscoring numbers show. According to FBref, he won an average of 5.68 aerial duels in the Premier League last season, with a 48.8% win rate. As Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called him, the 27-year-old is a "monster", notably when the ball is off the ground.
That ranks him in the top 3% and 13% amongst English top-flight strikers respectively, and also ranks him highest in the Villa squad last term for aerial duels won each game. He is far clear of second place for that metric, who is Duran with 3.77, as per FBref.
If the Villans do sign Calvert-Lewin this summer, it would be a repeat of their signing of Onana earlier in the window. Like the Englishman, they signed the midfielder from Everton, with the Belgian costing them £50m.
That has already proven to be a superb move from the Toffees, with the midfielder scoring a header on his debut for Emery’s side. He also played well against Arsenal last Saturday, with his performance against the Gunners earning him a 7/10 rating from 90min journalist Tom Gott.
Alongside the dynamic Morgan Rogers, he consistently got the better of Arsenal's midfield and has proven himself to be a menace from set-piece situations already.
Thus, if the signing of Calvert-Lewin is anywhere near as successful as Onana’s move to the Midlands has been so far, it could be a superb piece of business from Emery’s side. He is likely only going to cost up to £40m but could be less than that given the late stage of the window.
It could certainly be an astute pickup from the Villans, who would be adding a player with experience and a proven Premier League record to their squad, even if the past few seasons have been a struggle. Perhaps Villa Park could be the place Calvert-Lewin can get his career properly back on track.
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ByDan EmeryAug 26, 2024