Aston Villa: Emery should have spent £30 million on a player better than Digne.
Unai Emery had a successful summer at Villa Park, but he failed to secure one player who had been linked with a move…
Aston Villa returned to European action this week after a 13-year absence, after qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Unai Emery took over the team when they were 16th in the Premier League league, following a string of bad results that saw Steven Gerrard sacked in October 2022.
The Spaniard has brought a new level of confidence to Villa Park, with the support of the fans and his players, as well as NSWE, who allowed the four-time Europa League champion to have a lucrative transfer window.
This summer, five new faces arrived in the Midlands to bolster the squad, with Emery and Monchi breaking the club’s transfer record to sign Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for £51.9m.
Despite bringing in a wave of talent, some deadwood remains at Villa Park, resulting in a large imbalance in quality between those in the first team and those in the rotation squad at times, rather than having depth in quality to complement some positions.
One area that could have been improved during the summer was Villa’s depth at left-back, which was rumored to be on the market to be strengthened.
This summer, Aston Villa were linked with who?
Following the conclusion of the transfer window, writer Rudy Galetti disclosed via GIVEMESPORT that the Villans were “one step away” from signing Sevilla left-back Marcos Acuna, a deal that fell through due to a breakdown in negotiations.
Emery was interested in Arsenal fullback Nuno Tavares, who has since joined Nottingham Forest on loan from the Spaniard’s former club, as well as the Argentine.
Concerns about the future of Lucas Digne fueled discussions to boost that department, with French writer Fabrice Hawkins stating that both Villa and Ligue 1 team OGC Nice were “confident” that a loan deal could be concluded.
It appeared that the former Everton star would no longer be a part of the Spaniard’s ambitions, which led to the Midlands giants linking up with another star in north London, Emery’s former player Kierney.
The Villa manager signed the Scotsman from Celtic in 2019 for a sum of £25 million, describing him as a “very talented player” who would help the Gunners’ defensive options.
Kieran Tierney was almost signed by Aston Villa.
Fast forward to the summer of 2023, when Emery was referenced again with regard to the 26-year-old, as his future at Arsenal remained unknown, with him suspected of leaving the Emirates.
The Times reported in June that Villa had joined Newcastle United in the goal of luring the Isle of Man-born diamond away from the Gunners, with his former side Celtic also intrigued.
Galetti told GIVEMESPORT that a fee of £25m to £30m could be enough to entice the Scotsman away from Arteta, in what could have been a beneficial reunion for Emery at Villa Park.
Tierney did, however, depart north London for a season this summer, joining Real Sociedad on loan to obtain much-needed game time in order to return to the city and compete next season.
Villa weren’t completely shorthanded since Digne stayed in Birmingham rather than returning to his hometown, but missing out on the Arsenal man has become increasingly embarrassing with time.
What is Kieran Tierney’s current market value?
Tierney’s entry in the Premier League was much anticipated as he conquered the Scottish Premiership by winning five titles with his boyhood club before the age of 22.
The defender was named Young Player of the Year in the Scottish Premiership three years in a row in 2016, 2017, and 2018, indicating how intriguing a prospect Emery had recruited for his Gunners.
Tierney had an estimated transfer value (xTV) of €19.2m (£16.6m) when he arrived in north London, which quickly increased as he solidified his place in the squad, with his xTV peaking in the winter of 2021 at €63.6m (£55.2m), according to Football Transfers.
Things were far from easy for the former Celtic hero, dubbed a “baller” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, at the Emirates, as he battled various injuries and contention for starting spots that limited his game time since his arrival.
The Scot made just 15 Premier League games in his first season due to a dislocated shoulder midway through the season, and he missed the following two seasons due to separate knee problems that necessitated surgery in the 2021/22 season.
Tierney made just six starts for Arsenal last season, all of which occurred because to the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was recruited from Manchester City that summer.
Tierney’s market value has decreased to €28.7m (£24.9m) as a result of his graceful slide down the pecking order to the Ukrainian’s amazing influence on Arteta’s squad, making his estimated £30m price tag this summer a fair asking cost.
What could Kieran Tierney possibly have promised Villa?
While Emery’s side overcame the odds to return to European competition, the Villans’ start to the continental season was disastrous, with a 3-2 loss to Legia Warsaw in Group E.
The game’s conspicuous weakness was the full-backs, as Calum Chambers and Digne both had awful performances, with the Frenchman especially at fault for the game’s opening goal, while he was also ‘beaten too easily’ for Legia’s second of the night, according to Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden.
Due to a lack of depth at left-back, the 30-year-old was called up in the hope that he could translate his impressive form in the league to the Conference League. However, despite scoring, he had a miserable night in Poland, squandering possession on 17 occasions and winning only two of his seven duels.
The flaws in Digne’s defensive efforts last night – which Haffenden regarded as’very poor’ – pounded home what Villa should have done in the window, which was to sign an additional left-back to compete with and eventually exceed him.
Tierney could have been the ideal candidate for the role, as seen by his performance last season versus the Frenchman.
According to FBref, the Arsenal outsider averaged 4.08 progressive passes and 2.83 progressive carries per 90 minutes in the 2022/23 Premier League season, as well as 2.26 tackles per 90 minutes.
Digne, on the other hand, averaged 3.42 progressive passes, 1.74 progressive carries, and 1.80 tackles per 90 minutes, illustrating how big of an upgrade the Gunner may have been in Emery’s current squad.
Unlike Digne’s start to European competition this season, the Scotsman enjoyed a spectacular start to life with Sociedad in the Champions League this week, with Spanish journalist Aritz Gabilondo comparing him to Roberto Carlos for his performance against Inter Milan, as quoted by The Sun.
This week has demonstrated why Emery should have pursued Tierney in a transfer that could have improved Villa’s start to the season.
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