Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a Premier League star this summer, as Unai Emery aims to make his presence known in the transfer window.
After an emphatic first spell at Villa Park, the Spaniard has set his sights on bigger things and having secured European football, the club have now been linked with a number of big names.
The latest rumours have suggested that a five-time Premier League winner could be on the horizon in Emery’s plans.
What’s the latest on Aymeric Laporte to Aston Villa?
As reported by 90min this week, Aston Villa are eyeing Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte this summer with initial talks having already been held.
The report states that the versatile centre-back is in the search for regular minutes, which could be ‘on offer’ at Villa, with Tottenham also listed as a possible club interested.
It’s suggested that the Spaniard could have a price tag in the region of £40m.
What could Aymeric Laporte bring to Aston Villa?
Hailed as being the “best left-centre back in the world” by manager Pep Guardiola, Laporte is highly regarded at City, however, has not had as much game time as desired in the manager’s highly contested back three.
With 12 Premier League appearances this season, the Spaniard has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad since the emergence of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, who have been faultless this campaign.
While the lack of minutes is disappointing for the French-born Spain international, his frustrations could be beneficial to Villa, who could land a significant upgrade in signing the 29-year-old.
Ezri Konsa has been formidable for Villa this season, featuring in every game in the league and contributing to the club’s rise up the table since Emery’s arrival.
To put into perspective the strength of Laporte, the City ace would be a significant upgrade on the Villa defender, as highlighted through their numbers throughout the season.
Comparing Konsa’s displays this campaign with Laporte’s last term when he played more frequently, it’s clear to see why the Villans are interested in the experienced defender.
While the Villa man averaged slightly higher in terms of defensive attributes, with 1.14 tackles to Laporte’s 1.05 and 0.70 interceptions to his 0.64 per 90 as per FBref, the Spaniard was significantly better when it came to transitioning the ball up field.
The 29-year-old sits in the top 1% in Europe for most progressive passes made by centre-backs, with 8.62 per 90 in comparison to Konsa’s dismal 1.52 this season, showing that he is well and truly among the very best the game has to offer in his left centre-back berth.
Indeed, his reading of the game is exceptional and he boasts complete expertise in playing out from the back.
Most impressively, Laporte averaged a monumental 93.56 attempted passes and an accuracy rate of 94.6% per 90, supporting that he is a wizard on the ball in an area where composure is essential.
Despite Konsa’s impressive displays at Villa Park, Emery could boldly axe the 25-year-old in place of the experienced figure of Laporte, who has been sculpted to be one of the best by “footballing genius” Guardiola.
