Anthony Onifade

Sat 24 June 2023 18:30, UK

Aston Villa impressively confirmed the signing of Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City and his arrival means Steven Gerrard-signing Boubacar Kamara faces a first-team fight on his hands.

Villa confirmed [10 June] that the Belgian international would officially join on a free transfer on 1 July after his contract at Leicester City expired, signing on a four-year deal.

A regular feature for Belgium on the international stage, picking up 60 caps since his debut in 2016, Tielemans has long been considered one of the most innovative and progressive midfielders in the Premier League.

Villa boss Unai Emery has already transformed the tactical trajectory at Villa Park with the club now becoming both an effective and decisive team both in the transition and when playing out from the back and the signing of Tielemans is another telling element which would enhance an already impressive philosophy at Villa Park.

The 26-year-old midfielder looks a perfect option to add some extra creativity and dynamism to Villa’s midfield in the final third.

According to FBRef, Tielemans sat in the 86th percentile for progressive passes made by midfielders last season, averaging 6.95 per 90 minutes. This equated to a total of 181 progressive passes across the season, which was 33 more than Douglas Luiz, who topped the charts for Villa.

Such quality in possession will be too hard for Unai Emery to ignore, given his need and desire for his Villa side to be better in possession from the back and Tielemans seems an absolute certainty to start the campaign alongside the Brazilian in midfield, at the expense of Kamara.

To be fair to Kamara, the former Marseille man has been superb since he was snapped up by Gerrard last summer, showcasing himself as one of the best tough-tackling defensive midfielders in the league, and amongst his positional peers in Europe, sitting in the 87th percentile of Premier League midfielders for tackles per 90 (2.94) and the 95th percentile for shots blocked (0.61 per 90) in the 2022/23 season. [FBREF]

The French disruptor also impressively sits in the 92nd percentile for midfielders over the last year for blocks (1.80 per 90) whilst also being in the top 25% of his European counterparts for tackles (2.57 per 90) and clearances (1.49 per 90) [FBREF].

However, whether that’s enough to tempt Emery into making him a guaranteed starter in the team next season is another matter entirely. At the end of the day, it’s all about Emery’s tactical and personnel preference, does he want a dogged, defensively minded side or a progressive, controlling and metronomic one?

While Kamara will be looking to prove he’s the man to take up the base of midfield at Tieleman’s expense, it is evidently clear that Aston Villa now have a plethora of some superb and exciting tactical decisions at their disposal.

Emery could either go with a three-man midfield of Tielemans, Luiz and John McGinn or a Kamara, Tielemans, Luiz/McGinn or he may opt to continue his rigid and efficient 4-4-2 system with Ramsey exploiting the wide areas but the Spaniard simply cannot play everyone and with Ramsey excelling going forward, arguably more than his Villa Park counterparts, he too may be guaranteed a starting spot when the season kicks off away to Newcastle on 12 August.

Ideally, it’s not only Kamara that faces a fight to remain in Emery’s first XI thinking but every one of his midfield options, including the Belgian maestro Tielemans. What will be incredibly crucial to the Spaniard’s final decision-making though, will be Villa’s pre-season aspirations.

Can the former Marseille man set the tone for the rest of his teammates and emerge as the surprise midfield force once that first whistle kicks off at St James’ Park?

In other Aston Villa news, big-name signings are now on the cards after a behind-the-scenes arrival at Villa Park.