Unai Emery has acted swiftly this summer with regard to bolstering the first-team squad at Aston Villa as they prepare to face Europe’s elite in the Champions League next season.
So far, six new arrivals have landed in the Midlands, with a seventh seemingly set to be confirmed following reports that academy graduate Jaden Philogene will return to the club after just a solitary season at Hull City.
This extensive early recruitment has , however, been offset by a few departures which were required in order for the club to remain within the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations.
The likes of Douglas Luiz, Tim Ireogbunam and Morgan Sanson have all left Villa in recent weeks, freeing up some space in Emery’s squad while bringing in some funds which could be used for future transfers.
They won't be the only players leaving as it now looks like someone who was only signed last summer for a club-record fee is close to making a move away from the Premier League.
Latest on Moussa Diaby's future
According to journalist Gianluigi Longari, Diaby has reportedly agreed on personal terms to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad this summer, with negotiations set to begin with Villa over a transfer fee.
It looks like the Middle Eastern side are going to invest €60m (£50.4m) in order to lure him away from England and this could see Emery cash in on the French winger after just a single season in the Premier League.
The club would effectively be recouping the fee they paid to sign him from Bayer Leverkusen in the first place and this cash influx could give the Spaniard some flexibility in the transfer market in terms of new signings.
The Frenchman was seen as a marquee signing, but he failed to really live up to the hype of a club-record transfer.
Moussa Diaby’s season in numbers for Aston Villa
Upon his arrival, it looked as though Villa had hit the jackpot by signing a player of Diaby’s class.
The supporters were genuinely excited. After all, this was a player who had registered 97 goal contributions in just 172 games for the Bundesliga side, showing how effective he was in front of goal.
Metric
Premier League
Conference League
Goals
6
3
Assists
8
1
Big chances created
13
0
Successful dribbles per game
0.8
0.7
Key passes per game
1.2
0.7
Despite this wonderful spell in Germany, Diaby found a much harder time in England, scoring only ten goals last season in all competitions, chipping in with nine assists too.
Decent, but hardly spectacular, especially for a player who cost in excess of £50m. Failing to gain a consistent run in the starting XI didn’t help matters, but he struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League.
Should Diaby depart the club in the coming weeks, Emery will no doubt be eyeing a replacement who could come in and make an impression straight away.
Could he turn to Serie A in order to find an heir to the Frenchman? As it appears, Emery is keen on making a move for a player who has plenty to prove.
Aston Villa showing interest in Serie A star
It is no secret that the club are keen on bolstering their squad with talent worthy of performing in the Champions League. Could Federico Chiesa be a player worth signing?
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via 90min), Villa have been mentioned as a club who are keen on bringing the Juventus winger to Villa Park this summer.
The Italian dynamo could even be available for a fee as little as €25m (£21m), which is a third of what Diaby could be sold for, which makes a move for Chiesa a real no-brainer.
Chiesa hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best of times over the previous couple of years, but a move to Villa and the fresh start that goes with it could be all he needs to recapture past glories.
Why Federico Chiesa could be a good signing for Aston Villa
The 2020 European Championships saw Chiesa at his very best. Not only did the winger feature for an Italian side that won their first continental title since 1968, but he also scored twice during the competition as Italy defeated England on penalties in the final.
The sky was certainly the limit for the "magical player" after this glory – as hailed by journalist Raj Chohan – but a spate of injuries has hampered his progress at the Old Lady since 2021.
Over the previous three years, he has missed 80 games for club and country due to a succession of injury issues, but he did find some form last season for Juventus.
The winger managed to make 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals while registering three assists as he began to put his injury issues behind him for good.
Among his teammates last season, Chiesa ranked second for goals and assists (11) in the Italian top flight, along with ranking second for shots on target per game (0.8), first for big chances created (12), key passes per game (1.6) and for successful dribbles per game (1.1), showing how vital he was to his club last season.
If he could carry this type of form into the 2024/25 campaign, there is no doubt Chiesa would make a wonderful impact in the Premier League.
Described as “world-class” during Euro 2020 by journalist Zach Lowy, Chiesa could be a perfect replacement for Diaby next season should the French winger move to the Middle East.
Not only did he score the same number of goals as Diaby, but as mentioned, he could only cost around £21m this summer to join from Juventus.
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While Villa are in a solid position off the field, Emery still has to be smart with regard to future signings, such as with the impending return of young Philogene for a reported fee of just £13m.
If interest in Chiesa is also concrete, then this should be one that Emery is intent on getting over the line as soon as possible so he can settle into life at Villa.
For £21m, Villa will be getting plenty of value for money should a move go through in the coming weeks.