Aston Villa could face a problem in their bid to secure their fifth summer signing, despite Unai Emery’s wishes to bolster his squad in preparation for what’s to come in the 2023/24 calendar.
The Spaniard claimed his first three points of the campaign in match week two, slaying Everton 4-0 at Villa Park to get things back on track after a nightmare Premier League opener that saw a 5-1 defeat and a devastating blow to Tyrone Mings.
While proceedings are back to the usual highs under Emery in the Midlands, there could be some difficulty in his pursuit of one of the club’s rumoured targets, making for a potentially interesting climax to the transfer window.
Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?
Having welcomed Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo to their ranks, it’s expected that the Villans’ movements in the market are far from over.
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There has been ongoing speculation over Sevilla full-back Marcos Acuna, with Football Insider claiming last week that the club were ‘continuing talks’ over the weekend to sign the Argentine.
Valued at £13m by the Spanish outfit, it appears that Monchi’s former club could retract their talks to allow the 31-year-old to depart, with journalist Rudy Galetti shedding fresh light on the situation.
The renowned Italian journalist relayed that talks have “stalled” between the two clubs, with Sevilla feeling less convinced to let the left-back leave and are currently discussing “internal evaluations” to make a decision over his future.
What could Marcos Acuna offer to Aston Villa?
Deployed as left-back, Emery could capture a player with significant experience and versatility in a position that could become vacant this summer at Villa Park.
There is ongoing speculation regarding the future of Lucas Digne, who despite starting the opening two fixtures for the Villans, could depart before the end of the window.
In Acuna, the Midlands outfit could integrate a defender capable of playing the role of a dynamic full-back expertly, with skills in going forward and being a combative presence in the back line.
Lauded as an “animal” by journalist Facundo Del Real for his performance at the 2022 World Cup, which saw him add the biggest prize of them all to his accolades, the 31-year-old could bolster Villa’s options at full-back.
Already this season, it’s become evident just how useful having a full-back with attacking tendencies is in the league, with Serge Aurier setting up both goals in Nottingham Forest’s first win of the campaign, and Pervis Estupinan thriving for Brighton.
The Ecuadorian left-back has contributed to three goals in two appearances already this term, scoring one and assisting two to begin the 2023/24 calendar as he left off.
Estupinan’s presence in Roberto De Zerbi’s side has become integral to their style of play, leaving other managers envious, however, Emery could secure his answer to the 25-year-old in Acuna.
Likened to the Seagulls star based on their statistics gathered during the World Cup, via FBref's comparison model, the Argentine could be Villa’s own explosive left-back, as supported by his numbers in the tournament.
As per FBref, Acuna averaged similarly to the Brighton whiz, recording 3.14 progressive passes and 1.21 progressive carries per 90, as well as 1.21 key passes and a monstrous 2.90 tackles per 90 for the World Cup winners.
To put into perspective the roundedness of his talents in comparison to those more familiar through Estupinan, the 25-year-old averaged 4.00 progressive passes, 1.33 progressive carries and 1.67 key passes per 90 for his country, as well as making an average of 2.00 tackles per 90, via FBref.
Emery could sign his own version of De Zerbi’s wizard, though the Spaniard will have to wait in the wings to see if Sevilla will eventually sanction a move for the 31-year-old.