Aston Villa look on course for a top 10 finish in the Premier League this season and all of their summer signings have contributed to their success.
Former Villans defender Alan Hutton lauded the work of sporting director Johan Lange and believes “it’s working well” after he succeeded Jesús García Pitarch in the role last July. The Scotland international told Football Insider:
I never really liked what Suso (Pitarch) was doing, to be honest. It seemed to be quantity over quality which is fine, he thought he was doing the best job possible.
It turned out he wasn’t but Johan’s come in and I think him and Dean Smith work really well together. I think that a lot of the signings have been down to Dean Smith and it also looks like his team, who he wants, the type of player that he wants. It‘s working well, it’s working really well.
Emiliano Martinez joined on a four-year deal from Arsenal and has kept 10 clean sheets in his first 20 league appearances while saving 76% of shots on target faced.
Matty Cash joined on a five-year deal from Nottingham Forest and has recorded the most tackles (49) and most interceptions (49) in the Villa squad this season. Moving to midfield, Ross Barkley joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea and had a hand in four goals from seven games before injury struck in November.
in attack, Bertrand Traore joined on a four-year deal from Lyon and has had a hand in six goals from his first 18 league games for Villa. Also, Ollie Watkins joined on a five-year deal from Brentford and has boasts 11 goals from 23 games so far for Dean Smith’s side.
READ ASTON VILLA VERDICT
Villa signed 16 players last season and a number of them flopped – Bjorn Engels, Jota, Danny Drinkwater, Trezeguet, Mbwana Samatta, Marvelous Nakamba, Borja Baston and Pepe Reina all contributed little – but the club focused on quality over quantity under a new sporting director and, as Hutton has suggested, it has paid off.
Every player Villa signed in the summer transfer window of 2020 has impressed so far in their debut season and Morgan Sanson has now been added to the squad, joining on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Marseille, so things are looking up for the Claret and Blues under the new regime.
