Villa advancing in talks for £25m gem who’d shine with Philogene
da imperador bet: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is still trying to strengthen his squad despite signing eight players already this summer.
da dobrowin: Qualifying for the Champions League has given the club a major boost with regard to the type of players they could lure to Villa Park and Emery is taking full advantage of this.
Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen are the two signings which have stood out the most this summer, but could the Spaniard make another statement signing by luring a Dutch defender to the Midlands?
Aston Villa advancing in talks with Eredivisie star
Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Villa’s interest in right-back Lutsharel Geertruida when speaking with GIVEMESPORT, saying: "It's ongoing [Geertruida negotiations], it's not that close yet, it's well advanced on the player's side, because the player is keen on the move to the Premier League and to the Champions League.
"Also in this case, with Aston Villa, he's really attracted by the project of Unai Emery. But with Feyenoord it's always complicated to negotiate for Geertruida.
“He's a really important player for them and every time important clubs try to approach Feyenoord in recent years, Leipzig last year, PSG at the beginning of this summer transfer window, it has always been a tough story.”
This suggests that Villa are closing in on the defender, despite a lack of an agreement with his club as of yet, due to the positive talks with the player's side of the deal.
Lutsharel Geertruida’s season in numbers
The defender, who could be available for £27m this summer, enjoyed a stunning season in the Dutch top flight during 2023/24.
Across 47 matches in all competitions, the 24-year-old scored an impressive nine times from right-back, along with chipping in with five assists, demonstrating his attacking prowess down the right flank.
Lutsharel Geertruida's Eredivisie stats during 2023/24
Goals
8
Assists
5
Key passes per game
1.2
Big chances created
7
Successful dribbles per game
0.7
Total duels won per game
3.6
Via Sofascore
With Leon Bailey likely to be operating on the right-wing this term, new signing Jaden Philogene could slot in on the opposite flank. While Geertruida and Philogene won't play on the same side, they could both offer Villa a solid attacking threat going forwards from both sides of the pitch.
Philogene scored 12 goals and registered six assists for Hull last term. Can he replicate this in the Premier League during 2024/25?
He is certainly a wonderful option to call upon and so will Geertruida should he make the move to Villa this summer.
When compared to his positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions, the Dutchman ranked in the top 1% for non-penalty goals and progressive passes per 90, along with ranking in the top 15% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for touches in the opposition box, clearly indicating how impressive he was at bursting forward from the defence.
With Philogene doing the same from the opposite flank, albeit from a more advanced position, the pair could create plenty of chances for the club next season, while chipping in with plenty of goals.
U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed the defender for his “sublime tactical nous” late last year, and it is clear this is a trait which could stand Emery in good stead ahead of the new season.
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