Emery lost out on a £30 million phenomenon, but he’s currently better than McGinn.
Unai Emery had a successful summer transfer season, although the Spaniard missed out on a number of rumored targets.
Aston Villa had a successful summer transfer window, with Unai Emery and Monchi directing the cash to bring five new players to Villa Park.The Spanish duo shattered the club’s transfer fee record in the process, signing Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for £51.9 million.
Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Clement Lenglet have also moved to the Midlands, with all five of Villa’s new arrivals having the ability to significantly enhance the team.
Despite signing the newcomers, Emery and Monchi were connected with a slew of other names, with several deals that might have improved the team falling through.
The Villans were listed as a team interested in some of Europe’s greatest players, from Jadon Sancho to Ansu Fati, with one player signing for an alternative Premier League club in a transaction that has seen him prosper in his new surroundings.
West Ham United recruited James Ward-Prowse after weeks of uncertainty about his future, and now that the Englishman has settled in quickly, Emery will be thinking about the player he could have had.
Did Aston Villa come close to signing James Ward-Prowse?
After Southampton was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 season, Ward-Prowse’s future became one of the key talking topics of the transfer window.
Prior to the transfer window opening in May, the Daily Mail reported that the former Saints captain’s contract did not include a relegation release clause, with Villa identified as one of the teams interested in his services.
The Midlands club have wanted to recruit the midfielder before, with Dean Smith having a £25m bid for the set-piece expert rejected in the summer of 2021.
West Ham paid a sum of £30 million to Southampton only weeks after walking away from discussions, signing the Saints star on a four-year contract to terminate his 20-year connection at St Mary’s.
This summer was the ideal time for Villa to move up and sign Ward-Prowse, but it wasn’t to be as the Villans signed fellow relegation-threatened player Youri Tielemans from Leicester City.
What is the market worth of James Ward-Prowse?
Ward-Prowse’s next destination sparked speculation as the Mail reported that Saints had placed a £50 million price tag on his head this summer.
Football Transfers listed the Portsmouth-born ace’s expected transfer value (xTV) as €39.3m (£34m) at the time of such debate, making the south coast club’s appraisal of its skipper a bit high for interested teams to contemplate without discussion.
Considering the significance of the person to Saints at the time, as well as the fact that he signed a five-year agreement with the club in 2021, it’s easy to see why Southampton paid such a high amount for the midfielder at the time.
The Hammers managed to bargain the Englishman down to £30m, which was a fantastic deal considering his market worth was an exact indication of the money paid at the time.
Fast forward to present, and the Irons boss has an xTV of €31.1 million (£26.9 million), demonstrating that David Moyes acquired his man at the right moment and at the right price this summer.
How many goals has James Ward-Prowse scored in his career?
With the 28-year-old being a seasoned professional in the Premier League and a constant high-performer at St Mary’s, it’s easy to see why Villa, among other teams, were interested in Ward-Prowse following Southampton’s relegation.
While at Saints, the midfielder made 343 Premier League appearances, demonstrating expertise in the English top flight that can seldom be purchased, with the adaption phase often tough for foreign midfielders.
Previous five Premier League seasons for James Ward-Prowse (via Transfermarkt)
During his stay with the south coast club, the academy graduate turned captain scored 55 goals in all competitions while also posting 54 assists.
When the Saints needed inspiration, the Englishman was nearly always there to provide it. Current Southampton manager Russell Martin referred to him as “incredible” during his stint at the club.
While Ward-Prowse’s performances in midfield and the final third are commendable, his dead-ball ability should not be underestimated, as he is presently one direct free-kick away from equaling the Premier League record.
Treble-winner Pep Guardiola earlier praised the 11-cap England international as “the best free-kick taker” he has “ever seen,” which is high praise coming from a guy who has coached Lionel Messi.
David Beckham holds the record with 18, with the Hammers mastermind just one behind with 17, and given his track record, the 28-year-old is well-positioned to rewrite history in that regard.
What could James Ward-Prowse possibly have promised Villa?
Aside from his showy antics, West Ham gained a solid and commanding asset in the middle of the park.
The treasure that the Irons gathered was the shine that Villa missed out on, as they might have had a far stronger midfield set-up if they had fought for his signing.
Since Emery’s arrival, John McGinn has thrived, but the Scotsman is not as good as Ward-Prowse, who may have offered an improvement to the 28-year-old in the Spaniard’s free-flowing style.
According to FBref, the former Saints hero averaged 0.18 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, as well as 3.39 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes to demonstrate the threat he could provide on goal while being in a defensive role.
McGinn struggled to have an impact in the final third for Villa last season, averaging 0.03 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes and 2.67 shot-creating actions.
In terms of passing in the 2022/23 season, the Villans midfielder placed worse than their reported summer aim, with 4.68 progressive passes and just 0.60 critical passes per 90.
About The Author
Leave a Reply