Aston Villa have seen a complete twist in fortune this season, from relegation candidates to European hopefuls, the Villans have been on a journey.
The club's recent success is down to the expertise of manager Unai Emery, who was appointed in November following the dismissal of Steven Gerrard.
When the Spaniard took over, Villa had gained just eight points from their opening eight fixtures, placing them just four points above the drop zone.
Not only has Emery raised the levels of performance at Villa Park, but the whole club looks to be in transition, as numerous links to lavish players have been made ahead of the summer transfer window.
What’s the latest on Manuel Ugarte to Aston Villa?
According to FootballTransfers, the Villans are the 'front runners' monitoring the movements of Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
The 22-year-old, who has also gained interest from top-flight rivals Liverpool, is reported to have a release clause of £52m in Lisbon, a price not so high for a player that can offer so much.
It’s also speculated that the price isn’t too high for Villa, who, according to The Sun, have £200m to spend this summer, as Mateu Alemany is set to arrive as director of football from Barcelona.
What could Manuel Ugarte bring to Aston Villa?
Once hailed as a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Uruguayan is one of Europe’s hottest prospects ahead of the summer window.
As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old has maintained a match rating of 7.04 this season, ranking him among the top ten performers from Sporting in the league this campaign, warranting the hype surrounding the youngster.
Emery told The Athletic last month of his desire to strengthen his squad saying he wants "two players for each position" in order to "add performances" to improve the team.
Potentially adding Ugarte to the already budding midfield could bring the best out of his current holding midfielders, Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara, who have both been outperformed by the Uruguayan this season.
The coveted midfielder ranks in the top 1% of the eight leagues comparative to Primeira Liga for passing completion (91.5%), tackles (4.66) and interceptions (2.25) per 90 minutes, with Villa's duo scoring lower in each of the vital attributes in their position in comparison to the potential summer signing, as per FBref.
Luiz averages a passing rate of 83.1%, making 2.19 tackles per game and 1.29 interceptions, Kamara with similar numbers at 85.1%, 2.57 tackles and 1.03 interceptions, highlighting the level of talent that Ugarte possesses.
Hailed as a "ball-winning machine" by podcaster Dave Hendrick on Twitter, there are no doubts regarding the Uruguayan's physicality and aggression, which are so often failing points for midfielders that venture to the Premier League from abroad.
If Villa can pull the signing of Ugarte off, then Emery would have one of the continent's most promising talents in his midfield arsenal – a big coup heading into a huge season next term.
