Aston Villa: Emery could sign new Grealish in £26m star
The Villans have been touted with an interest in signing the talented young attacker.
Aston Villa have less than five days to go until the end of the summer transfer window and could make further additions to their squad before the deadline passes.
Who have Aston Villa signed this summer?
Unai Emery and Monchi have been able to swoop for four signings so far as Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, and Moussa Diaby have all joined on permanent deals, whilst Nicolo Zaniolo has signed on loan from Galatasaray.
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There could be more to come from the club before the window slams shut, however, as they have been touted with a move for a LaLiga attacker.
Mundo Deportivo recently reported that the Villans are one of the sides interested in securing a deal to sign Barcelona forward Ez Abde, alongside German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
The outlet also stated that the Spanish giants are set to demand a fee within the region of €30m (£26m) for the talented youngster, and it now remains to be seen whether or not Villa are prepared to match that figure.
How good is Ez Abde?
Barcelona’s young ace is a superb prospect who could come in as a long-term investment for Villa as he is a player who has the potential to develop into a Jack Grealish-esque figure for the club.
Emery could unearth the side’s next version of the England star by working with the Morocco international to help him to take the next step in his development.
U23 scout Antonio Mango described him as a right-footed winger who likes to play off the left, which was Grealish’s favoured role during his time at Villa Park, and hailed the 21-year-old ace as a “majestic” creator who is “unpredictable”.
Abde, who scored four goals in 19 LaLiga starts on loan at Osasuna last season, is yet to prove himself to be a regular contributor at the top end of the pitch but his form at youth level suggests that he could grow into being a player who can make a consistent impact.
His performances for Morocco at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations showcased the immense potential that he has. Abde racked up three goals and three assists in just four appearances for his country at the tournament after his spell with Osasuna.
The exciting dynamo also caught the eye during the 2021/22 campaign with three goals and seven assists in 21 outings for Barcelona B, which earned him 12 first-team appearances for the Spanish giants that season.
Grealish was an exceptional performer for Villa on the left flank and produced 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 matches for the club in total, which works out as a goal contribution every 2.84 games on average.
Abde delivered a goal or an assist every 2.1 matches on average for Barcelona B and every 0.67 outings at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations. This shows that he does have the ability to make a big impact in the final third with goals and assists on a regular basis, but he must now take the next step and do it at senior level with consistency.
If he can do that then Villa could have their next Grealish on their hands and that is why Emery must push for a late swoop for the impressive magician before the deadline as the Spanish head coach could unearth his potential.