Aston Villa are the favorites to close out the season and finish fourth in the Premier League to secure the final slot for the 2024/25 Champions League season.
What Unai Emery has done as Aston Villa manager since stepping into the role near the beginning of the 2022/23 season is nothing short of remarkable.
In just his first season, Emery took Aston Villa to the Conference League. Young players are blossoming under the former Sevilla and Villarreal Europa League winner’s tutelage, namely striker Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa will continue to be aggressive in the coming summer transfer market, and Unai Emery reportedly has a few key areas of need identified for the Lions.
According to a report from The Telegraph’s John Percy, Aston Villa wants to sign a holding midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, more talent on the wings, and even a striker if Ollie Watkins were to be tempted by an outside offer.
While Watkins isn’t expected to leave Aston Villa at any price with the Champions League on the horizon, it is reassuring for Villa fans to see that Emery is always thinking of the worst-case and has contingency plans in mind.
Upgrading the midfield should be a priority for Villa. Douglas Luiz is a star but is being linked to clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona.
John McGinn is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, but Aston Villa need more depth and quality in the middle of the park to keep up with the Champions League elite.
As for the wings, Aston Villa signed Moussa Diaby to go with former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Leon Bailey, and the two are one of the best duos in the Premier League surrounding elite striker Watkins.
However, depth is the name of the game on the wings, as Manchester City are showing everyone else in England, and it is a particularly important position in a grueling season that includes Champions League football.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.