Aston Villa have already acquired 8 players! Will it be enough for the Champions League?

Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League by finishing in the Top 4 of the Premier League. Unai Emery as an experienced strategist knows very well that he had to strengthen his team and expand at the same time. So the Villains management gave the Spaniard one of the biggest budgets in the league and Emery started to act. There have been several changes in the squad since the beginning of the transfer window.

• Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League

• Unai Emery brought in 8 new players

• The team lost 2 key players

Aston Villa have lost key men

Douglas Luiz along with his girlfriend Alisha Lehmann have swapped Aston Villa for Juventus. The Brazilian spent 5 years at Villa Park during which he played 204 games, scored 22 goals and made 24 assists. Over time he has developed into a key player for the whole team, last season he kicked all the standard situations. His transfer brought €51.5 million to the coffers.

Moussa Diaby has spent just one season in the Premier League and is already moving on again. The 25-year-old Frenchman’s services have been acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad. He has displaced former Leverkusen teammate Leon Bailey from the Aston Villa jersey. With a record of 10 goals and 9 assists, he was one of the most productive men of the whole team. The price on his soul is 60 million euros for his departure.

8 players have (already) been added to the roster

Amadou Onana only signed for Everton 2 years ago, but is currently already an Aston Villa player. The Belgian cost the Villains €59.35 million and ranks among the most expensive signings in the club’s entire history. The defensive midfielder has completely different strengths other than scoring goals and setting them up. He is a perfect fit for Emery’s style.

Ian Matsen spent the spring part of the season on loan at Dortmund, where he attracted the attention of big clubs. There was long speculation that he would stay at Chelsea, but eventually Aston Villa came in with an offer. The 22-year-old left-back notched up 3 goals and 2 assists in the spring transfer window. Chelsea received 44.5 million euros to the club’s coffers.

One of the familiar faces who will be making a new appearance in an Aston Villa jersey is Ross Barkley. The player who was supposed to be Frank Lampard’s successor has parted ways with relegated Luton for less than 6 million euros. The 30-year-old Englishman can be one of Emery’s most important players thanks to his creativity. His style of play can completely replace the departing Luiz.

When Luiz went to Juventus, a duo of players went to Birmingham. Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Illing-Junior cost the English club a total of €22 million. Both are very young players who have decent potential. Illing-Junior is a left winger who scored only 1 goal and 2 assists last season. Barrenechea, on the other hand, is a defensive midfielder, but has only played 5 games for the Old Lady. Neither player fit into Thiago Motta’s plans.

The other signings are Lewis Dobbin from Everton coming for just under 12 million euros. He is also a left winger. Jaden Philogene arrives from Hull City for 16 million euros having netted 12 goals and set up 6 more last Championship season. Cameron Archer is the latest signing from Sheffield United. He is a top striker who scored 4 goals last season.

Source: Transfermarkt, SkySports