During his time as manager of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Aston Villa and French giants Paris Saint Germain, Unai Emery has coached some of Europe’s biggest stars. These players have helped him become a manager synonymous with winning silverware, with his trophy cabinet including four Champions Leagues and one Ligue 1 title.
The Spaniard has the fortune of managing both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar during his spell in Paris. Both boasted an unbelievable record under Emery, with the Frenchman scoring 21 goals and registering 16 assists in 44 games and the Brazil legend playing 30 times for Emery, scoring 28 goals with 18 assists.
The likes of Edinson Cavani, who scored 89 times in 98 games for Emery’s PSG side, Angel Di Maria and Thiago Silva also played under the Spanish manager during his stint as PSG manager.
Some of Emery’s other notable players include Spain legend David Villa, who played for Emery 88 times as a Valencia player, scoring 59 goals and assisting once, and former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata, also for Valencia.
With the transfer window now open, Emery has been linked with another of his former players, who could join Villa and reunite with the Spaniard.
Aston Villa could sign Premier League midfielder
The player in question here is Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso. The 28-year-old has struggled to become a regular at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and could depart the club this summer.
This is according to a report from Football Insider which believes the Villans are in talks with Ange Postecoglou’s side over a potential 'three-player swap deal' this summer.
According to the report, Jacob Ramsey is set to go the other way and make the switch to North London, as well as another, unnamed Villa player, in exchange for Lo Celso and a sum of money.
The Lilywhites are hoping to 'reduce the cash outlay' by offering the Argentine to the Midlands side, which means they have to pay less upfront for Ramsey. It's claimed the Villans value the 23-year-old at around £50m, with Spurs hoping to bring that down and are happy to let Lo Celso go in exchange.
Why Lo Celso would be a good signing
Since joining Spurs, Lo Celso has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot. He has gone out on loan twice, to Villarreal both times, where Emery managed him for the second time, having also coached him whilst PSG boss. Interstingly, the Spaniard is the coach Lo Celso has played under the most times.
Games
53
33
Minutes
2,587
2,240
Goals
6
2
Assists
9
1
The 2024/24 season was a very frustrating campaign for the Argentina international, who is currently representing his nation at the Copa America. He played just 24 times in all competitions, with 22 of those appearances coming in the Premier League. However, his 597 minutes in that time equated to just 6.6 full 90 minutes on average.
Should Lo Celso switch to Villa Park as the direct Ramsey replacement, we will get to see him reignite his partnership with Emery. The 28-year-old is clearly highly regarded by the Spaniard; before the pair linked up once again at Villarreal, Emery explained they brought him in because he is a very “versatile” footballer. Lo Celso returned the compliment, explaining his former boss is so good to work with because he knows “what he can give you”.
In terms of how the Argentine compares to Ramsey, they are both number 10s who like to get on the ball in pockets of space behind the striker and drive forward with the ball.
According to Fbref, Lo Celso averaged 4.46 progressive carries and 3.57 carries into the final third per 90 minutes last season. In comparison, Ramsey averaged 3.47 progressive carries and two carries into the final third, slightly fewer although still impressive output.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
One area Lo Celso excels over the Englishman according to the stats is in his creative passing numbers. Last season, the 28-year-old averaged 3.21 key passes compared to Ramsey’s 1.05 per 90, with his expected assists 0.35xA, with Ramsey averaging just 0.15xA per game.
Expected Assists (xA) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a pass becoming a goal assist.
So, should they add Lo Celso to their squad, Villa would be bringing in an experienced player who knows what it takes to play under Emery. The Argentine has great quality on the ball and could be an excellent option to replace Ramsey as one of those number 10s in Emery’s famed 4-2-2-2 system because of his technical ability and eye for a pass. It could be a match made in heaven.
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