One of the Premier League’s most underrated academy systems is that of Aston Villa. The Midlands side, who will return to the Champions League for the first time since its rebrand from the European Cup, have produced some of English football’s best players.
Perhaps the Villans’ most famous academy graduate is Gareth Barry. The former England international played 439 times for Villa, and is actually the Premier League’s highest-ever appearances maker, with 653 outings. He has also played for West Brom, Everton and Manchester City, with whom he won the Premier League in 2011/12 and the FA Cup in 2011.
Gary Cahill is another notable academy graduate from the Villans academy. Although he only played 31 times for the club, he went on to have an illustrious career elsewhere, notably at Chelsea. Among other trophies, the former England defender won the Premier League and Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.
In the current first team, Unai Emery has some academy graduates of his own at his disposal. Most notably, they include Jacob Ramsey, Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer, with the latter two returning to the club this summer from Hull City and Sheffield United, respectively.
However, they might not be the only academy graduates to resign for Villa this season, after they have been linked with a high-profile former payer this week.
Aston Villa target Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Manchester City and England international attacker Jack Grealish. The 28-year-old made a name for himself at boyhood club Villa before earning a major move to the Etihad Stadium and has now been tipped to leave the club this summer.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Villans are ‘keeping a close eye on the situation’ of their former skipper, and could be poised to make a move if they get an indication he wants to depart the Cityzens this summer.
The report suggests that Villa are not interested in buying the attacker permanently this year, but instead want to do a deal that would see him sign on loan with an obligation to buy him next summer, instead.
That could be a way around breaching the profit and sustainability rules, given the Villans have already completed deals for eight players this summer, and came close to breaching the rules at the end of last season, too.
How Grealish could be transformed by Emery
Should Villa get a deal for Grealish over the line this summer, he would hope to rediscover his form during his final season at Villa Park, which led to his record-breaking £100m move to the Etihad Stadium.
The England international, who missed out on selection for Euro 2024, was one of the Premier League’s best players in 2020/21 but has not really captured his best form in Manchester. He has played 125 times for City but has scored just 14 times and registered 18 assists.
During his final season at Villa Park, Grealish was a maverick in midfield, given a free-roam role by then-manager Dean Smith. The Englishman scored six times and registered ten assists in 26 top-flight games, compared to just three goals and a single assist in 20 games in 2023/24 under Pep Guardiola.
In fact, Grealish was statistically one of the Premier League’s best creative players in his final season wearing claret and blue, both when looking at his creative stats and ball-carrying stats on FBref.
Stat
Number
PL rank
Assists
10
=3rd
Progressive carries
172
2nd
Carries into final third
98
6th
Carries into penalty area
79
2nd
Key passes
81
3rd
Passes into penalty area
69
6th
At City, we have not really seen the side of Grealish that is a pure ball carrier, a deadly threat in transition who would use Pausa, quick feet and footballing intelligence to keep hold of the ball and win fouls for his side. Football scout Antonio Mango once called him “unplayable”, and that is what was once the norm in a Villa shirt.
Instead, he has become somewhat of a cog in the system that is Guardiola’s City, a shadow of his former self in many ways. Nowadays, we don’t see the flair and finesse of Grealish as much as we did in his Villa days when he was one of the Premier League’s great entertainers.
How Emery could get the best out of Grealish
Perhaps we could see Emery get the best out of Grealish as one of the number 10s, the false wingers, in his famed 4-2-2-2 system. The 28-year-old would have a better environment in a free-flowing and more transitional system which he could thrive, and remind the Premier League, and the England setup, just how good he can be.
Emery has already turned one Villa attacker into one of English football’s best and most productive players. Ollie Watkins was simply sensational for the Villans last campaign and was a large reason why they managed to finish in fourth place in the league and qualify for the Champions League.
The England international, who scored his country’s winning goal in the Euro 2024 semi-final, was prolific for his side last term. In 37 games in the top flight, Watkins got himself on the scoresheet 19 times and also managed to assist his teammates on 13 occasions.
As per StatMuse, he was one of only three players with more than 30 goals and assists in the Premier League last season, and he was in fine company at that. England teammate Cole Palmer led the way with 33 goal involvements, and Watkins was tied on 32 with deadly striker Erling Haaland, who claimed the Golden Boot.
In fact, his 13 assists last campaign for the Villans was enough to earn him the Premier League’s Playmaker award, given out to the player with the most assists. In terms of combined goals and assists, it was comfortably the 28-year-old’s best season of his career.
Perhaps Emery can have a similar impact on Grealish as he has had on Watkins, having turned the former Brentford man – who scored just 11 times in 2021/22 – into one of Europe’s best centre-forwards. Grealish has all the talent but needs the right environment to flourish, and that is certainly something the Spaniard could provide.
On a loan-to-buy deal, Villa might well try and bring Grealish home at all costs. Whilst his wage could be high, given he is currently on £300k-per-week, as per Capology, he is an academy graduate, their former captain and arguably one of their greatest players.
If Grealish – who has been described as a "magician" by pundit Rio Ferdinand – can get even half as close to his old form, could make them contenders for top four, or better, once again next campaign.
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ByBen BrowningJul 31, 2024