Unai Emery can surely be very happy with Aston Villa’s 2023/24 season, as the campaign slowly draws to a halt, with just the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund left to play.
The Spaniard’s side came fourth in the Premier League, although it was a narrow gap between the Villans and fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur. Ange Postecoglou’s side came just two points behind Villa, and had they won their game in hand against Manchester City, would have finished fifth.
In cup competitions, Villa did not quite manage to get their hands on any silverware, although they did come close. Domestically, they struggled, losing in the Carabao Cup third round against Everton, and the fourth round against Chelsea, in a replay.
In Europe, however, they reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League but disappointingly crashed out. A 4-2 home defeat and 2-0 away defeat in the return leg against Greek side Olympiacos sent Emery’s side home in devastating fashion.
However, it was an overall impressive campaign for the Villans, who now have Champions League football to look forward to next season. The 2024 summer transfer window will be an important time for them to bolster their squad, and they have already been linked with one incoming.
Villa looking to sign La Liga winger
The player in question here is the former Leeds United winger Raphinha, who now plays for Barcelona. He has been linked with a move away from the Spanish giants for some time, and Villa could offer a destination for him this summer.
According to a report in Spain, Villa are one of two Premier League clubs chasing the 27-year-old Brazil international, alongside Londoners Chelsea and Manchester United.
Gonzalez explains that last January, Barca rejected an offer for Raphinha from an unnamed Premier League side, potentially Villa, worth £51m, with additional clauses potentially seeing a raise in the fee.
The journalist goes on to explain that new Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, winner of an incredible sextuple with Bayern Munich in 2020, wants to keep Raphinha at the club. However, this is only “until he knows which players can be signed”.
Barca are still in deep financial strife, and are set to have restrictions on their summer transfer window once again, thus meaning they cannot sign all of their targets, and must settle for keeping large portions of their squad.
With that being said, if a bid for Raphinha is “a figure that would help the Catalans to be able to go to the summer transfer window with certain guarantees” then they could sell him to purchase their main targets.
Why Raphinha would be a good signing
Should Villa sign Raphinha this summer, he would bolster an already impressive attack which includes the likes of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey. Watkins was one of the players of the season in the 2023/24 Premier League, scoring 19 and assisting 13 in 37 games.
In fact, Raphinha himself had a productive season in a Barca side that finished second, ten points behind champions Real Madrid.
He scored six goals and registered nine assists in 28 La Liga games, as well as having an impressive seven goal involvements in seven Champions League games. He is a very creative winger, who enjoys operating in the half-spaces and looking to create for the likes of Robert Lewandowski ahead of him.
Raphinha
28
6
9
Watkins
37
19
13
Rogers
11
3
1
Bailey
35
10
9
Diaby
38
6
8
Interestingly, according to Fbref, there are some similarities creatively between Raphinha and Premier League and England stars Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka. Per 90 minutes, Raphinha averages 0.59 assists, compared to Saka’s 0.28 and Palmer’s 0.38.
Raphinha also averages more key passes per 90 minutes than Palmer, with 2.70 compared to the Chelsea winger’s 2.47. Saka, however, averages more than both, although only slightly, with 2.81 key passes. Evidently they're all particularly creative right wingers, notably possessing that amazing ability to cut inside onto their devastating left foot.
There is also nothing much to split the trio when it comes to passes into the penalty box per 90 minutes. Palmer leads the way, with 2.37, but Saka averages 2.25 and Raphinha closely follows, with 2.11.
The minimal difference between the three players shows the sheer quality that Villa would be adding to their squad if they bring Raphinha in this summer. Although the £51m fee is expensive, it certainly represents good business for Emery’s side.
It remains to be seen at this stage if a deal will get done, yet Villa fans may well be excited about the potential arrival of “one of the best players in the world”, as Raphinha’s former manager Xavi described him.
Aston Villa targeting Watkins' dream transfer in £30m star
He has 14 goals and assists in Serie A this season.
ByJoe Nuttall
