Aston Villa boss Unai Emery means business this summer. With the pressure to replicate their sublime fourth-place finish in the Premier League from last term, coupled with an appearance in the Champions League group stage, an injection of quality was required this summer.
New arrivals include Ian Maatsen – who played in the final of Europe’s premier club competition last season – Ross Barkley, Lewis Dobbin and, most notably, Amadou Onana.
The Spaniard has been forced to sell a few first-team players due to profit and sustainability rules, meaning Douglas Luiz and Tim Iroegbunam have already departed Villa Park, with Moussa Diaby looking like the next player to be sold.
Emery clearly isn’t losing much sleep over these departures, especially considering he is eyeing up a move for a current La Liga star…
Aston Villa in the market to sign Portuguese forward
It is evident, given his business so far, that the 52-year-old tactician is willing to spend big in order to attract the best talent.
Onana is a prime example. Villa spent a fee in the region of £50m to lure the Belgian midfielder from Everton to the Midlands as it looked like Champions League participation was a main incentive.
Sky Sports News editor Lyall Thomas gave an update on X regarding Villa’s transfer activity, saying: “Benfica, Barcelona and Aston Villa all interested in Joao Felix at Atletico Madrid. Unai Emery still in market for a No.10.”
In the subsequent report, it is claimed that Emery is reportedly impressed by the player.
The 24-year-old is someone who has a profile which could fit into the current squad as the manager aims to strengthen ahead of the new season starting in just a few weeks.
With plenty of experience at the top level of European competition, might Felix be an ideal signing for the club?
Joao Felix’s season in numbers
The Portuguese midfielder spent the entire 2023/24 season on loan at Barcelona, making a total of 44 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan side.
In the process, Felix scored ten goals while registering six assists, yet it wasn’t enough to lead the club to domestic or continental glory.
Among his teammates, he ranked fourth in the squad for goals and assists (ten) during the La Liga campaign, along with ranking second for shots on target per game (0.8) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (one), showcasing his talents going forward.
Despite being most effective as an attacking midfielder or shadow striker, Felix was either shoehorned into the Barcelona starting XI as a left-winger or centre-forward, limiting his effectiveness.
2023/24 (Barcelona)
44
10
6
2022/23 (Atlético Madrid & Chelsea)
40
9
3
2021/22 (Atlético Madrid)
35
10
6
2020/21 (Atlético Madrid)
40
10
6
2019/20 (Atlético Madrid)
36
9
3
2018/19 (Benfica)
43
20
11
Scoring ten times from two positions which he hasn’t operated in frequently during his career is a testament to how good he can be when on form.
Emery has plenty of wingers at his disposal at Villa, which means Felix would be deployed directly behind Ollie Watkins.
What Joao Felix could offer Aston Villa
It feels as though the Portugal international – who competed at Euro 2024 – has been around forever. His name became etched into the history books back in 2019 as he completed a stunning £113m move from Benfica to the Spanish capital, becoming the fifth most expensive player in history.
There was plenty of promise, yet the youngster failed to live up to the hype. Across his first four seasons at Atlético, he scored just 34 goals in 131 appearances, working out as £3.3m per goal.
After he signed, journalist Jose Delgado said: "Since Ronaldo we have not had a player so exciting and young like him until now."
It wasn’t without a lack of trying, but his skills didn’t quite fit into Diego Simeone’s tactical system, yet there is no doubting his obvious attacking talents.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed the 24-year-old as “the football artist” during his embryonic stage at Barcelona, as he ranked in the top 5% of positionally similar players in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals.
Furthermore, he also ranked in the top 4% for total shots and the top 14% for touches in the opposition box, clearly indicating his desire to find the back of the net while bursting into the opposition penalty area on a regular basis.
There is no doubt he would start consistently under Emery. Could this see him work well with a new signing?
Why Felix would shine playing in front of Amadou Onana
The former Everton sensation could be the beating heart of the Villa midfield next term following the loss of Luiz.
Yes, he might not be nearly as effective in front of goal, but Onana’s ability to dig deep in the tackle and win the ball back could be priceless.
The 22-year-old ranks in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe for tackles per 90 (3.06), while even ranking in the top 6% for aerials won per 90 (2.24), showing how impressive he is defensively.
What does this mean for Felix? Well, he wouldn’t need to contribute as much from a defensive standpoint if Onana is sweeping everything up behind him, allowing the forward to do what he does best, move into promising spaces and score goals.
The £96k-per-week former Benfica starlet would be a tremendous signing by Emery, one that would signal a big statement of intent.
Regardless if it occurs or not, the fact that the Midlands side are even showing interest and battling other European giants for a player of his quality shows how far the club has come in two years.
Fourth place may not win any club a trophy, but the incentive of playing at the highest European standard means plenty of high-quality players will want to join.
Emery could take full advantage of this. Breathing some new life into his midfield as a duo of Onana and Felix would work wonders together, both domestically and on the continent next season.
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ByAngus Sinclair Jul 24, 2024