Aston Villa’s first foray into the Champions League next season indicates that Unai Emery will need to improve his first team squad as greater challenges await.
While the Spaniard may have to sell a player or two during the summer transfer window in order to sign his targets, might one of his regular performers make the move from Villa Park?
Aston Villa transfer news
It is no secret that Villa are showing plenty of admiration for Chelsea gem Conor Gallagher in recent weeks, yet it could be another Stamford Bridge academy graduate in Reece James who has emerged as a potential target for Emery.
The defender has been linked with a move to the Midlands recently as it looks like new Blues manager Enzo Maresca is set for a summer full of upheaval.
This may suggest Matty Cash’s future could be in doubt if a concrete move for James comes to fruition, especially considering Emery can utilise Ezri Konsa on the right side of the defence.
How Reece James compares to Matty Cash
Cash may have played 46 times for Villa during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring five times and grabbing three assists, but consistency was a problem.
Indeed, among his teammates, he ranked only 13th for key passes per game (0.4) in the Premier League, while also ranking 15th for successful dribbles per game (0.4), behind the likes of Pau Torres and Konsa.
He was even labelled as a “disappointment” by Polish journalist Mateusz Swiecicki late last year and if Emery is serious about bolstering his squad, then Cash – who has reportedly been linked with a move to AC Milan – is surely one player who must be sent packing.
Metric
Cash
James
Starts
23
5
Assists
2
2
Key passes per game
0.4
1.3
Big chances created
6
7
Successful dribbles per game
0.4
0.9
Total duels won per game
3.6
3.6
James has endured his fair share of injury issues previously, missing a total of 63 matches since the start of the 2022/23 season, but when he is fit and healthy, the right-back is a sublime athlete.
Trevoh Chalobah even dubbed James as “one of the best in the world” after a Champions League display against Milan in October 2022 and Emery will be desperate to add this sort of quality to his team.
Despite starting just five league matches last term, the Englishman still managed to create seven big chances, average 1.3 key passes per game and succeed with 0.9 dribbles per game – a success rate of 69% – which clearly indicates how impressive he was during his limited time on the pitch.
Now imagine how good he could be if he entered the new season in full health? The right-back has played 30 games in the Champions League for the Blues during his career, proving he has plenty of experience performing at the highest level and this could be useful indeed for Emery.
While the interest is there, the Spaniard may find it difficult luring James away from Chelsea, especially as he still has four years remaining on his current contract.
A chance to play in Europe’s premier club competition could be all the incentive he needs to make the move north, however, and it would certainly be a statement of intent should Emery secure his signature this summer.
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