Aston Villa have established their dominance as one of the top sides in the Premier League of late, with their transfer strategy certainly confirming this.
A couple of years ago, there would have been next to no chance that the club could lure players of such quality as Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana to the Midlands. Champions League participation has, of course, given the club an advantage over most, which Unai Emery has utilised this summer.
Despite their success in bolstering their squad, the manager has missed out on a few transfer targets throughout the window, most notably João Félix.
Aston Villa's pursuit of Joao Felix
One transfer saga that stretched on far too long was Villa’s pursuit of the Portuguese talent, one that ended in failure.
At the end of July, Emery was still showing plenty of interest in the player, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona.
The Spaniard viewed Felix as a ‘dream target’, according to Caught Offside, and it looked as though the incentive of playing in Europe’s premier club competition would seal the deal for the attacking midfielder.
When Chelsea began to showcase their interest, flaunting their deep pockets, it was dream over for Emery. Not long after initial interest was confirmed, Felix joined the Stamford Bridge side for the second time following his six-month loan spell during the second half of the 2022/23 season.
He cost the club around £46.3m from Atlético, and it remains to be seen whether the move will be a success.
It is clear Emery has moved on from missing out on the former Benfica starlet as he eyes a swoop for a current Barcelona winger, who is better than Felix.
Aston Villa chase move for Brazilian sensation
According to Caught Offside, Villa are exploring their options with regard to bringing in a new striker between now and Friday evening.
Names such as Nicolas Jackson, Tammy Abraham and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been discussed, but it could be difficult to bring any of them in before the deadline.
Elsewhere in the report, Villa could strike a last-minute deal for a new winger, as Raphinha is currently on their radar.
This would be an exciting signing, giving Emery some quality out wide to add to the likes of Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers. Not only that, but he could be a better signing than Felix…
Raphinha’s statistics last season
Last season was certainly a successful one from a personal point of view for the Brazilian. Across 37 matches in all competitions, he scored ten goals while registering 13 assists, becoming one of the most dangerous members of the first-team squad.
Among his teammates, Raphinha ranked second for goals and assists (15) in La Liga last season for the Catalan club, along with ranking third for shots per game (2.1), third for big chances created (11) and for key passes per game (1.5), demonstrating his attacking qualities for the club.
Metric
Champions League
La Liga
Goals
3
6
Assists
2
9
Big chances created
4
11
Key passes per game
1.4
1.5
Successful dribbles per game
1.1
0.9
Shots on target per game
1.9
0.8
Compare these statistics to those that Felix registered, however, and it is clear who enjoyed the more productive season.
The Portuguese star registered 16 goal contributions – ten goals and six assists – which was seven fewer than Raphinha across the entire season.
When compared to his teammates, Felix ranked fourth for goals and assists (ten), fourth for shots per game (2), seventh for big chances created (six) and a lowly 14th for key passes per game (0.6), certainly proving that the Brazilian enjoyed the more successful season with regard to these statistics.
If Emery did manage to lure the current Barcelona star to the Midlands, it could be a real statement of intent before the window closes on Friday evening.
Furthermore, the former Leeds United winger is similar in style to a current Premier League icon – Mohamed Salah.
Raphinha could be Villa’s own Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian has forged his way into Premier League folklore with his exploits with Liverpool since arriving in Merseyside seven years ago.
Since then, Salah has made 351 competitive appearances for the Anfield side, scoring 213 goals along with grabbing a further 90 assists. This works out as a goal involvement once every 1.1 games, a simply outrageous statistic.
With two goals already this season in as many matches, it appears as though he isn’t slowing down, not right now anyway.
According to FBref, Salah is currently the ninth-most comparable player to Raphinha. Having someone who can register the sort of numbers that the current Liverpool magician will be a huge advantage in Villa’s pursuit of glory.
The duo registered similar domestic statistics last season with regard to assists (nine vs ten), shots per 90 (3.82 vs 3.8), shot-creating actions per 90 (5.86 vs 4.94), successful take-ons (24 vs 27) and goal-creating actions (13 vs 20), showcasing their effectiveness going forward.
Raphinha – who currently earns £200k-per-week at Barcelona – would be an incredible signing, especially as it looks like he is just entering his prime years as a player.
The 27-year-old has plenty of English top-flight experience during his spell at Leeds United, playing 65 games in the top tier, scoring 17 times while chipping in with 12 assists too, meaning he wouldn’t have to settle in.
His former teammate Daniel James lavished praise on the South American winger during their spell in Yorkshire, describing him as a "magician".
High praise indeed and Raphinha has gone from strength to strength in recent years, starring for Barcelona and playing for Brazil during the 2022 World Cup.
Much will depend on the fee Barcelona will demand for one of their star assets should Emery decide to make a move, but if it is realistic, then the club should be doing all they can to lure him back to England.
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1 ByJoe NuttallAug 28, 2024