Aston Villa favourites for ‘monster’ signing who plays like Nico Williams

Aston Villa favourites for ‘monster’ signing who plays like Nico Williams

Villa have acquired Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus,

a skilled and growing combo with strong claims for significant places on the wing and in the base of the midfield, respectively.

What is the catch? Douglas Luiz, Unai Emery’s midfield general,

has left Villans to join Juventus in order to appease PSR and avoid a Premier League points deduction on the eve of the club’s most exciting season in recent memory.

Overall, Villa Park deserves credit for navigating a potentially catastrophic scenario.

Luiz was the anchor in the centre, but positive recruitment will offset the loss.

While the PSR deadline has passed and Villa are seen to have done enough to avoid the clamping jaws,

further outgoings may be required, with Tottenham Hotspur interested in acquire homegrown talent Jacob Ramsey; nevertheless,

there is reluctance to approve the 23-year-old’s transfer.

If such a circumstance develops, Emery and Monchi may have identified the ideal substitute.

Aston Villa Transfer News

According to SportBILD – via Sport Witness – Aston Villa are leading the fight to sign FSV Mainz teenager Brajan Gruda,

despite interest from Liverpool and Newcastle.

Gruda had a fantastic breakout year in the German Bundesliga and is considering leaving after hearing about the high-profile controversy.

With a slew of German clubs taking note and Gruda’s contract lacking a release clause,

Mainz are asking for €50 million (£42 million) to swallow his departure,

despite him being only 20 years old and possessing such dizzying potential.

Brajan Gruda’s 23/24 season statistics

Gruda is a quick and fluid attacking midfielder with positional flexibility who has played across the frontline,

including deep-lying midfield on occasion.

He plays with unbridled excitement and a swagger that testifies to his confidence in his abilities.

 

While Gruda only scored four goals and provided three assists for Mainz last season,

he did it with the gliding gait and easy confidence of a player who understands their skill set and influences and improves his team’s play.

Furthermore, given that he spent the previous season playing for the juniors,

there’s little doubt that Gruda is on the fast track to stardom, with attention from some of Europe’s top clubs indicating his ascension.

Some may argue that Gruda, with only hesitant steps into his professional career,

would be best put remaining in his country with Mainz for the next year or two,

but he demonstrated that he has attributes to call serious danger to even the most fearsome of opposition,

and with the sharks circling this might mark an attractive opportunity that may be rued if not acted upon.

What might Brajan Gruda bring to Aston Villa?

Gruda was not called up to Julian Nagelsmann’s team for Euro 2024 because he was too young and inexperienced,

but he was invited to help with preparations because of his potential and skill set.

According to FBref, the versatile player ranked in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season for shot-creating actions,

the top 4% for progressive carries, and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 minutes, demonstrating his elite development and playmaking skills.

With his close control, shuffling movement, and eagle-eyed vision,

Gruda – the possessor of a “monstrous left foot” – has the trappings of an elite-level creator in the future, and he would make a real difference to Aston Villa’s first team.

He may not have the same raw pace as Nico Williams, another key Villan target to bolster the flanks,

but he does have several characteristics that point to his adaptability in Emery’s system.

Brajan Gruda: Most Similar Players
Rank	Player	Club
1.	Takefusa Kubo	Real Sociedad
2.	Nico Williams	Athletic Bilbao
3.	Samuel Chukwueze	AC Milan
4.	Edon Zhegrova	LOSC Lille
5.	Mykhaylo Mudryk	Chelsea
Sourced via FBref

Williams was in explosive form for Athletic Bilbao last season, helping the Basque team win the Copa del Rey, scoring eight goals and assisting 19 times across all competitions.

Williams, admittedly, is performing at a higher level, since being called up to Spain’s national team and proving to be one of the tournament’s standout performers at Euro 2024, but then Gruda truly has a bunch of skills that would make him an excellent alternative.

Brajan Gruda vs Nico Williams (League Stats 23/24)
#	Gruda	Williams
Matches played	28	31
Matches started	19	29
Goals	4	5
Assists	3	11
Pass completion	71%	79%
Big chances created	9	10
Key passes per game	1.5	1.5
Ball recoveries per game	3.5	4.2
Dribbles per game	2.5 (52%)	2.8 (48%)
Duels won per game	5.5 (46%)	5.2 (46%)
All stats via Sofascore

According to Football Insider, Villa are vying with Tottenham Hotspur for the 21-year-old winger after failing to sign him in January 2023.

One thing is certain: Aston Villa is on the rise, and they are now in a position to add some of Europe’s top players to continue Emery’s exciting project.

Williams, on the other hand, is a promising young player who will be difficult to sign.

Fortunately, given Gruda’s huge profile, the Midlands club might land an amazing acquisition to propel them to the next level.

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