Yahoo News The glaring hole Unai Emery has to fill to turn Aston Villa into Champions League contenders
Aston Villa are closing in on a first ever Champions League campaign. Victory over Chelsea on Saturday would put Unai Emery’s men nine points clear of rivals Tottenham and while Spurs have three games in hand, Villa have the points on the board and at this stage of the season that counts for everything.
As does Villa’s momentum. Victories over Arsenal and Bournemouth were not only impressive in their own right, the fact they were sandwich between Europa Conference League ties with Lille shows just how well the Claret & Blues are playing at present.
Nothing’s yet guaranteed but Villa are almost unbackable due to the shortness of their odds.
So, with a few toes already in the continent’s elite competition, our writers have taken a look at where Emery needs to strengthen his squad in the summer. Here’s what they say.
READ MORE: Danny Murphy warns Aston Villa of pitfalls of reaching Unai Emery target
READ MORE: Cole Palmer Chelsea return update ahead of Aston Villa
John Townley - Mikel Merino
If Villa do qualify for Champions League football, they’ll likely become the fourth Premier League team in 31 years to have finished fourth and conceded more than 50 goals, having shipped that number with four games remaining. The 50 they have conceded is already four more than the whole of last season and in 2020/21.
The loss of Boubacar Kamara is a big contributing factor to Villa’s defensive struggles. In the 20 Premier League appearances he made this season, Villa only conceded two or more goals on five occasions. In the 14 matches without him, Villa have kept two clean sheets and conceded two or more goals in eight of those matches.
Kamara isn’t expected to return to full fitness until October at the earliest, so it’s key Villa tighten up defensively for the start of the next campaign. Villa have strong options at centre-back, but could add depth in the full-back areas. Without a natural replacement for Kamara, Villa should look at Mikel Merino.
The 27-year-old has one year remaining on his contract with Real Sociedad, who could qualify for Europa Conference League football this season. Merino was reportedly unwilling to leave the Basque club last summer because he wanted to play in the Champions League with them.
Brian Dick – Ivan Toney
I’ve rated Ollie Watkins since I first saw him play for Brentford in 2017. He looked to have Premier League potential even then but I can’t honestly say I saw him hitting this season’s heights. As a contender for the Golden Boot and the jewel in Aston Villa’s crown, there’s not even an argument that he should be going to Euro 2024.
But I’ve also worried about him this season. No Villa player has played more minutes – not even Emi Martinez and it’s felt for months now that Villa success hangs by the width of Watkins’ hamstring. Incredibly he’s proved indestructible – but if Villa are to go head-to-head with the continent’s elite he’s going to need some support.
It feels a bit like Villa are in the same position with Watkins as Tottenham were with Harry Kane, potential targets knew they’d only ever back-up Spurs’ talisman and would be reluctant to sit behind the England captain.
However, with Villa set to be in the Champions League there’s going to be plenty of football to go round and for me adding to the striker depth is vital, I’d back Unai Emery to manage the dynamic of two ‘alpha’ forwards and for that reason I think Ivan Toney could be tempted.
He seems destined to leave Brentford this summer and as a much different kind of striker to Watkins, would give Emery greater depth and tactical flexibility. Play them together, Watkins off the side, Toney through the middle, or one from the start the other off the bench.
Toney and Watkins shouldn’t only be going to the European Championships together, they should be returning as team-mates at club level too.
Keith Wales - Virgil van Dijk
If Aston Villa are serious about making an impact in the Champions League next season, they need a top class central defender who has been there and done it.
Villa have acquired a recent reputation for recruiting good young talent with an eye on the future, and it has served them well so far.
But this is the time to buy class and experience, and one defender already plying his trade in the Premier League fits the bill for several reasons. Virgil van Dijk.
The Liverpool captain might be heading for his 33rd birthday, but for much of this season he has been back to his imperious best at the heart of the Reds defence.
He will only bring on the likes of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres, while his ability to fire off a devastating crossfield pass will instigate many a Villa attack when they are under the cosh playing away to Europe’s best.
Unai Emery has assembled a talented team who can do well next season - at home and in Europe. But experience like van Dijk can bring to the table could be the final piece of the jigsaw. And with a change of manager on the cards at Anfield, the Dutchman may feel he is ready for a new challenge too.
