Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa into one of the best teams in the Premier League over the last year with the renovation undertaken since Steven Gerrard departed a miraculous one.
The Villains currently sit second in the table after winning 13 of their 20 matches are are within three points of the leaders, Liverpool.
20
13
6
1
45
25
20
13
3
4
42
16
19
12
4
3
40
24
20
12
4
4
40
17
However, the Spaniard is still keen to strengthen his side over the winter, with a particular focus on the attack.
Aston Villa transfer latest – Emery wants a striker
Football Transfers recently confirmed that Aston Villa are interested in signing Jonathan David from Lille.
The Canadian is keen to move away from the French club, with his ideal destination being the Premier League.
Allegedly, Villa are looking for additional support for Ollie Watkins but it won't come cheap. Indeed, according to CIES Football Observatory, the attacker is estimated to have a transfer value of £43m.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024 Jonathan David’s style of play
The Canadian ace has started 14 matches for Lille in Ligue 1 this season, scoring five goals and registering one assist so far.
However, this has been a relatively poor start by the 23-year-old's standards, as just last season he netted 24 goals and four assists in the French top flight alone, leading to scout Antonio Mango to describe him as "special".
If the former Gent star did make the switch to the Midlands, he would feature alongside the aforementioned Watkins, which unfortunately means Moussa Diaby’s role as a second striker could vanish. With David being more of a typical striker, Emery could opt for a 4-4-2 instead of the 4-4-1-1 variant he has used this season.
The table below highlights David’s profile using statistics from the last year across Europe's top leagues, while also comparing the forward to positional peers and how he ranks against them.
Goals
0.57
Top 18%
xG
0.57
Top 22%
Passes completed
20.36
Top 15%
Progressive passes
3.23
Top 11%
Progressive passes received
8.35
Top 7%
Shot-creating actions
2.99
Top 22%
On the evidence of the above, David is the type of striker who likes to get on the ball and offer himself as an out-ball. The 23-year-old is comfortable receiving the ball to his feet and can even drop slightly deeper to do so, often allowing him to progress the play.
This is highlighted by the high progressive passes received, progressive passes made, and passes completed statistics. Such a skillset would see him form a dangerous partnership with Watkins, who thrives on the shoulder of the last man.
But most importantly, he is a centre forward who “loves to score" according to the earlier mentioned Mango. Although Emery’s side have scored the joint second-most goals this season (43), their biggest issue as of late has been breaking down opposition low blocks, as shown by the narrow 3-2 win over Burnley and the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United.
David could help solve this issue because the boss could field two natural, deadly finishers rather than just one. Only last season he scored a whopping 26 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. Scintillating form indeed.
As such, David would be an excellent signing for Villa, and he would increase the quality of their depth significantly. The front two of Watkins and David could become one of the deadliest duos in the Premier League. Unfortunately, it would be Diaby who suffers though.