Sky Sports journalist admits European football not a game-changer for Aston Villa as £50m+ transfer chase emerges
We’re delighted to welcome Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Europa Conference League football isn’t a game-changing factor for Aston Villa in their pursuit of high-calibre players this summer, according to Dan Bardell.
So far this summer, the Villans have completed the signing of Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans on a free transfer, with the midfielder officially joining the club when his contract expires at the end of this month.
After navigating a remarkable turnaround from just above the relegation zone to finish in the European places, Unai Emery is expected to be given a healthy war chest to bring in additions to his first-team squad.
Villa have been linked with names such as Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres and the recently relegated Tyler Adams, while the club are now reportedly chasing a £51.2million deal for Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa. [Sky Sports Italia, 23 June]
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell admitted that the stable and progressive nature of Villa under Emery will be just as important as European football when attempting to lure high-calibre players to the West Midlands.
On the impact of European football, he said: “It won’t make a huge difference as Villa would have been extremely attractive with Unai Emery as manager anyway, but it can’t have hurt their chances at all.
“We’ve seen that he has improved the players that were already there in a short space of time.
“I don’t think the Europa Conference League is a game-changer, although it might open up Villa to one or two types of players who they weren’t able to get before.
“It’s a bit different to Newcastle, who qualified for the Champions League, that has really opened up a completely different market for them this summer.
“The major thing is that Villa looks like a stable club, a progressive club, that’s travelling in the right direction, and they’re a club who have a manager who looks like he will be there for the long-term.
“There are some clubs out there, like Spurs and Chelsea, who will be looking to sign players without European football this summer, but are they as stable as Aston Villa right now? No, they’re not.
“Maybe the fact they haven’t qualified for Europe as well could make Villa look that bit more attractive in the window.”
In other Aston Villa news, big-name signings are now on the cards after a behind-the-scenes arrival at Villa Park.