The recent transfer activities at Aston Villa reveal a clear strategy. While their squad wasn’t particularly aged last season, boasting the fifth-oldest starting XI in the Premier League and achieving their best league finish in nearly three decades, the emphasis on youth is evident. Manager Unai Emery and football operations president Monchi are actively focused on enhancing the squad with players primarily in their early 20s.
Among the recent signings are Amadou Onana (22), Ian Maatsen (22), Cameron Archer (22), Jaden Philogene (22), Samuel Iling-Junior (20), Lewis Dobbin (21), and Enzo Barrenechea (23), alongside the sole exception of 30-year-old Ross Barkley. Additionally, there is potential for 18-year-old Kosta Nedeljkovic, who returned to Red Star Belgrade on loan after signing earlier, to join the first-team roster.
The signings from the winter window, including Morgan Rogers (22), Lino Sousa (19), and backup goalkeeper Joe Gauci (24), indicate a concerted effort to address the squad’s age dynamics.
Last season, the average age of the Villa team was 27 years and 149 days. Only four clubs fielded older starting lineups, and while this isn’t inherently negative – with Manchester City’s squad being just 113 days younger and experiencing significant success – the current focus is on future prospects.
Key players such as Lucas Digne and Diego Carlos are both over 30, with John McGinn hitting the milestone in October. Most starters from last season were within their prime, which is advantageous now, but not sustainable for the future. Emery allocated a mere 658 minutes of league play to players under 21, largely to Tim Iroegbunam, now at Everton, and Jhon Durán, who appears eager to leave the club.
Aston Villa’s strategy favors youthful acquisitions who can integrate immediately into the squad. The sizable investments in Onana (£50m) and Maatsen (£37.5m) underscore this approach. Onana enriches midfield with his ball-winning skills, having netted an average of 3.1 tackles per 90 minutes last season, ranking sixth among Premier League midfielders who played at least 2,000 minutes. He also brings notable aerial prowess and technical ability.
Maatsen is a contemporary left-back, contrasting Digne with his preference for short play over traditional overlapping runs. Last season, while on loan from Chelsea at Borussia Dortmund, he boasted an impressive pass success rate of 89.4% in the Bundesliga and averaged just 1.7 open-play crosses per 90 minutes. In comparison, Digne managed 81.4% pass success but delivered 4.6 crosses per 90.
Moreover, Villa has made shrewd low-budget acquisitions aimed at developing into starting players. The returns of Archer from Sheffield United and Philogene from Hull City generated some surprise but their loan experiences appear beneficial. Archer stood out at Sheffield United, demonstrating his capabilities, while Philogene excelled, leading the Championship in 2023-24 for shot-taking and chance creation post-carry, averaging 2.7 times per 90 minutes, and becoming Hull’s top scorer with 12 goals and their leading assister with six.
Iling-Junior and Dobbin are promising talents in need of first-team action. Having made 24 appearances for Juventus, including playing 90 minutes in the Coppa Italia final, Iling-Junior brings valuable experience. Conversely, Dobbin faced challenges at Everton after a successful loan at Derby, where he had regular minutes in the Championship. His move to Villa provides a fresh start, although competition on the wings is fierce.
Among the newcomers, Barrenechea remains the least familiar. After a successful loan spell at Frosinone, where he started 32 out of 38 league matches, he arrives as a deep-lying midfielder with a tendency to dictate play, rarely straying close to the opponent’s goal. His heatmap from last season illustrates this well. While he offers tenacity, he needs to be mindful of reckless tackles, as evidenced by his 10 yellow cards last season.
Overall, Aston Villa is undergoing a significant overhaul, creating a squad that could generate excitement for the future. While some may argue for a greater reliance on academy players, Emery likely opted for proven signings given the club’s Champions League ambitions.
To further balance experience and youth, Villa has already secured Barkley and is linked with players like João Félix, Raphinha, and Kalvin Phillips, who would bring invaluable Premier League and Champions League experience.
Exciting times lie ahead at Villa Park, and if their summer transfer dealings yield results, the club could maintain a promising trajectory.
