Aston Villa pushing to sign Luiz replacement in £17m “exceptional talent”
In order to strengthen their roster for the second half of the season, Aston Villa has not yet added a player to their
roster during the current January transfer window.
Red Star Belgrade agreed to sell their brilliant young defender Kosta Nedeljkovic, but the player will stay with them
until the summer.
Unai Emery does not have much time to recruit players to his senior team before the window closes on Thursday of
next week.
In the upcoming months, the Midlands team will have the chance to end an almost three-decade-long drought
without a major title, which may encourage the Spaniard to recruit some more talent.
In light of this, it seems like Villa is looking to bolster their midfield, as the most recent rumour connects the team to
a gifted young midfield player.
Aston Villa’s pursuit of new players
News outlet HLN (via Sport Witness) reports that Villa has entered the competition to recruit young starlet Mandela
Keita, 21, and that they are ‘pushing’ to sign the player, who is reportedly in hot demand this month.
The midfield player won’t be able to play for another team until the next season because he is currently on loan at
Royal Antwerp from another Belgian team OH Leuven.
He might be available for as little as €20 million (£17 million), which would be appealing to Emery as he wants to
bolster his team with potential future players.
international debut for less than £20 million may prove to be a wise investment in the long run.
Keita might be a good long-term successor for Douglas Luiz, who has been drawing a lot of attention because of his
fantastic performances for Villa this season. This is another reason why a move for Keita might be worthwhile.
Player Douglas Luiz is desired.
The Brazilian has played 181 games for Villa in all competitions since joining the team in 2019. However, since
Emery joined the team in October 2022, the midfielder has improved significantly.
Luiz provided Emery with an attacking option from the middle of the midfield last season with his 12 goal
contributions (6 goals and 6 assists) in the Premier League, but he is expected to eclipse those totals this year.
The former Manchester City star has contributed three assists and six goals thus far in the 2023–24 season, and
many teams are taking notice of his outstanding play.
Luiz was valued by Emery at £100 million before the January transfer window, and he was emphatic that any
approaches made this month for one of his best players would be turned down.
As Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his team, Arsenal has expressed the greatest interest in the midfield player.
However, he may have to wait until the summer to bring his man to London.
Even though Emery’s initiative is succeeding beyond expectations, will Luiz ever feel the need to sign with a team
like the Gunners?
If this happens, it would make sense to try to sign Keita since he could fill the void left by the Brazilian and
eventually establish himself as a vital member of the Midlands team.
The numbers that demonstrate Mandela Keita’s potential as an Aston Villa player
Since making his first team debut in the 2020–21 season, the young player has already made 79 senior games. His
experience in the Belgian top flight has provided him a strong foundation from which to work should he decide to go
to a higher league.
While he has only scored one goal and provided four assists in his early career, he does not possess the same
offensive threat as Luiz. However, it is his passing and defensive skills that may win over the Villa supporters the
most.
In fact, Keita currently ranks in the top 6% for interceptions per 90 (1.87) and the top 4% for pass completion
percentage per 90 (89.5%) when compared to positional peers in similar leagues, which amply illustrates how he
controls the game from the middle of the field while frequently winning the ball back.
Due to his strong season-long play, he was called up to play for Belgium against Austria in October. He entered the
game for the last three minutes.
If he maintains his present level of play, he could have a chance to force his way into the tournament squad as Euro
2024 draws near.
After learning of his call-up, U23 scout Antonio Mango praised Mandela Keita (21), saying, “He made his senior
international debut for Belgium yesterday. He’s someone I’ve been talking up for a while now.”
It’s so amazing to see him given the chance. Outstanding Ability
The 21-year-old has become one of Antwerp’s most dependable players, especially when it comes to passing and
defensive metrics. He currently ranks seventh in the team for accurate passes made per game (43.9), fourth for
successful dribbles per game (0.9), fifth for tackles per game (1.5), and second for interceptions per game (1.2).
His abilities seem limitless, and he has even excelled in the Champions League, finishing in the top three among the
team for successful dribbles, accurate passes, and tackles per game, showing that he is unaffected by competing in
the top club league in Europe.
Get more related news on…https://dailysportnews.co.uk/
Leave a Reply