Aston Villa loanee Jadon Sancho faced some criticism after he lost the ball for the second and third Sunderland goals in the club’s 4-3 win in the Premier League on Sunday.
The England international gave the ball away in the 86th and 87th minute for the Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor goals, but a last-gasp winner from Tammy Abraham meant that the Villans came away with all three points anyway.
Unai Emery was quick to deflect the blame away from the Manchester United loanee after the match. He interrupted a question about Sancho’s ‘mistakes’ to say: “It is not his mistake. The mistake is how we did this action If we did more passes, we could have avoided it.”
“The idea in 90 minutes was through good positioning and keeping possession, trying to be patient. When we conceded one goal, we decided to go quickly. I am never punishing it.”
Whilst the Spanish head coach did not want to attach blame to Sancho for those two goals, the winger has still endured a difficult time on loan at Villa Park this season.
Aston Villa expected to sign Premier League star this summer
The 26-year-old attacker has only scored one goal and provided three assists in 33 appearances in all competitions for the club, including zero goals and two assists in 20 Premier League outings.
Sancho’s underwhelming form for the Villans this season looks to have convinced the club to look elsewhere in the market, as they are closing in on another right winger for the 2026/27 campaign.
According to Wales Online, Aston Villa are expected to complete the signing of Fulham winger Harry Wilson on a free transfer at the start of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Villans believe that they are set to win the race for his signature, with Emery said to view him as a good fit for the team’s style of play.
It adds that the Wales international wants the move and is ready to make the switch to Villa Park by allowing his contract with the Cottagers to expire this summer.
Wales Online also reveals that Aston Villa are prepared to offer the left-footed attacker a weekly wage of £100k, which is double what he is currently on at Craven Cottage.
How Harry Wilson would be a Jadon Sancho upgrade for Aston Villa
Villa could improve their side by completing this deal for Wilson because his form this season suggests that he would be a significant upgrade on Sancho.
As aforementioned, the Manchester United loanee has not offered enough to the side as a scorer or a creator of goals on the right flank, which could see the Villans opt against a permanent deal for his services.
|
Highest xG overperformance in 25/26 PL |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
xG overperformance |
|
Harry Wilson |
+4.34 |
|
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall |
+3.25 |
|
Bruno Guimaraes |
+3.16 |
|
Junior Kroupi |
+3.15 |
|
Casemiro |
+2.79 |
Meanwhile, no player in the Premier League has overperformed their xG by more than Wilson, who has scored ten goals from 5.66 xG for the Cottagers.
The Welsh forward has provided clinical and reliable finishing for Fulham, cutting in from the right to score goals with his left foot, whilst Sancho has not scored a single goal in the league for Villa.
As well as being an impressive goalscorer at Craven Cottage, Wilson has created eight ‘big chances’ and registered six assists in the Premier League this season.
Sancho, meanwhile, has created three ‘big chances’ and claimed two assists for the Villans, which suggests that the Wales international would also offer more to the team as a creative threat.
At the age of 29, Wilson would not arrive at Villa Park this summer as a young player with potential who could be sold on for a big profit in the future, but his performances this season suggest that he would be an immediate upgrade for the team on the right flank.
Whilst developing young players and making a profit is an important part of being a sustainable Premier League club, due to PSR rules, teams also need experienced stars who can deliver consistently.
Wilson’s form for Fulham shows that he can be a reliable performer for Villa on the right wing, which is why this would be a fantastic piece of business if they can get it over the line.
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