Dan Bardell: Marcos Acuna transfer would give Aston Villa ‘nastiness’ they’ve been missing
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…
Aston Villa target Macros Acuna would give the club the “bit of nastiness” they have been missing, according to Dan Bardell.
The Sevilla left-back looks close to a switch to the Premier League with Fabrizio Romano reporting (17 August) that the 31-year-old had agreed personal terms with Villa amid continued talks with Sevilla.
With first-choice left-back Alex Moreno still sidelined following a hamstring injury sustained in May, Lucas Digne has found himself on a run of starts for Unai Emery but is considered replaceable and upgradable amongst the Villa fanbase.
Bardell claims that Digne should make way for Acuna, as the Argentine is a better fit for Emery’s system and adds a new profile of player that may change the face of the team.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I think Acuna adds a bit of steel and a bit of nastiness to the squad.
“Villa are still quite a ‘nice’ team, there’s not much nastiness in there. If you ask me to name nasty players in the squad, you might say Emi Martinez. I’ve not got anyone else on the list.
“Acuna is a player that Martinez knows from Argentina. They played in the World Cup-winning side together in the winter and he was a big part of that Argentina side. I watched him play in the Super Cup final against Manchester City, he got an assist and I thought he was good.
“I still think Alex Moreno will be the starting left-back when he’s fit, but I just think Acuna gives Villa that bit of steel and another option while being more suited to Emery’s football than Lucas Digne, that would be my opinion.”
In other Aston Villa news, Bardell feels that “someone’s put a curse” on Villa after the club lost their “twelfth man”.