The start of the new Premier League season will soon loom large, but for Aston Villa fans, fresh from a fourth placed finish last term, there is something even more exciting on the horizon.
That is Champions League football and a return to the top tier of Europe for the first time since 1983.
Much has changed since then – more than four decades on – but the sheer fact Villa are going to be dining at the table of club football once again speaks volumes for the work spearheaded by one man.
The pedigree of Unai Emery was clear long before he arrived on English shores as the manager of Arsenal six years ago.
While he was never given a real opportunity to make his mark in North London, he has wasted no time during his second stint.
In fact, in little more than 18 months in charge at Villa Park he has transformed the fortunes of the Midlands club who have, for so long, been something of a sleeping giant.
Villa were 16th and hadn’t competed in Europe since 2010 when Emery took over.
From 16th to seventh, and now seventh to fourth, it is something of a surprise that the SBOTOP Premier League 2024 betting odds rank them as eighth favourites ahead of the new campaign.
That won’t bother Villa fans one bit of course.
What will please them, though, is that the 52-year-old has just extended his contract by 12 months, which will keep him at Villa Park until 2027, as they look ahead to a Champions League adventure and Premier League 2024 highlights.
The Villa have actually been one of busiest teams in the market so far this summer with Ian Maatsen, Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Dobbin, Enzo Barrenechea, young Everton forward Lewis Dobbin, and Ross Barkley among the new faces arriving at Villa Park.
Until today, the standout signing had been left-back Ian Maatsen.
Having spent last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund from Chelsea, the Dutchman impressed as he and the German side made it to the Champions League final.
Villa duly swooped in to help the Blues balance their books with a £37.5 million purchase and it’s expected Maatsen will be a regular starter under Emery.
However, that move has been eclipsed within the last 24 hours by the arrival of another Everton man in midfielder Amadou Onana.
The 22 year-old Belgian has impressed many as an anchor for the Toffees over the past two seasons and effectively replaces Douglas Luiz who last month headed to Juventus for £42m.
The sale of the Brazil midfielder, who made more than 200 appearances in claret and blue, reportedly put Villa in the clear regarding the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules – Iling-Junior and Barrenechea arrived from Turin as part of the deal.
Indeed, it has been far from just arrivals this summer with Luiz, Omari Kellyman, Morgan Sanson and Tim Iroegbunam all departing, while Moussa Diaby is poised to head to the Saudi Pro League.
Luiz and Diaby both registered 14 goal involvements each last season, something which Villa will have to replace next term.
Yet the big news emanating from Villa Park within the last 24 hours has been that the club is supposedly plotting a hijack of Barcelona transfer target Nico Williams.
The Athletic Bilbao man was one of the stars of Euro 2024 and, fresh from terrorising Europe, there are reports he may be reunited with Yamal at Barcelona.
The emotional ties Williams has with Athletic Bilbao cannot be overlooked. The Basque club is known for its strong emotional connection with its players and it’s possible Williams might choose to stay with his current club.
In a way, that would be encouraging after he played a part in history in April as they defeated Real Mallorca on penalties to win their 24th Copa del Rey title and their first since 1984 – ending a 40-year trophy drought.
But if he did leave for pastures new, rather than another club in Spain, it would not be so frowned upon which may make Villa a more enviable option.
All in all, it’s been a fairly high turnover of players for Emery so far this summer but few would dispute his commitment to rebuild the club with players at the right age profile for long-term success.
If Williams joins Onana & co. within the next week or two, excitement levels at Villa Park may just reach a new high.
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