Aston Villa have just under two weeks to add some more reinforcements to their playing squad and if Unai Emery can bring in the correct signing or two, it could be the catalyst which sees them end a near three-decade wait for a major trophy.
The Midlands side have been linked with a variety of names over the course of the previous couple of weeks, yet no one has arrived as yet.
Could that change in the coming weeks? As Emery has shown interest in a Bundesliga starlet ahead of making a potential move…
Aston Villa’s search for new signings
According to Football Transfers, Villa are joining the list of clubs who are taking a keen interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Giovanni Reyna.
The report even claims that the club have made contact with the young sensation in order to try and prise him away from the German heavyweights in the near future.
His contract only runs until the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and he is currently valued at €24.4m (£21m) according to Football Transfers, and this suggests that Emery could secure a bargain deal for the player.
With the likes of Benfica, Sevilla, Lyon and AS Monaco all keeping tabs on him, Villa may need to act swiftly.
Could Emery be about to repeat his Moussa Diaby masterclass by luring a talented young player from Germany to the Premier League? Only time will tell.
NSWE now make first Aston Villa move to sign £17m attacker Gio Reyna – report
He’s on Unai Emery’s radar…
BySean Markus CliffordJan 18, 2024 What Giovanni Reyna could offer Aston Villa
Diaby joined the club last summer for a club-record £51.9m deal after he shone for Bayer Leverkusen and while he has yet to hit the heights achieved over the previous couple of seasons, there is no doubt the Frenchman will improve.
Indeed, the winger has registered 11 goal contributions – five goals and six assists – in 29 games, which works out as a goal involvement every 2.6 matches.
A decent tally and once he finds his feet in the Premier League, this will only get better.
Reyna is still only 21 years of age yet has already made 119 appearances for Dortmund since making his debut in the 2019/2020 season.
Lauded as “relentless” by his national team coach Gregg Berhalter last October, Reyna could offer Emery plenty of options as he is able to operate in a few different positions.
Not only does he operate behind the striker, but he can also play on either wing and, with Emery aiming to bolster his attacking options, Reyna’s positional versatility could be a huge advantage for the side.
The 21-year-old has shone when compared to players performing in the same league also, demonstrating just how talented he is.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, Reyna ranks in the top 1% for shot-creating actions (6.85), touches in the attacking penalty area (6.26) and non-penalty goals (0.75) per 90 over the previous 12 months.
These statistics could allow him to shine in the Premier League if given a regular run of game time and, with Emery sometimes operating with a 4-4-1-1 formation, Reyna could slot into the starting XI with ease.
