Aston Villa have been unsettled this summer, but Unai Emery is as resourceful as they come, and is working day and night to ensure his European champions are set up for success over the coming year.
There are still glaring holes to pave over, but Emery will be delighted to have agreed a £17m deal with Atletico Madrid this weekend for combative defender Matteo Ruggeri, whose knowledge spans central and the left side of defence.
However, Morgan Rogers still hasn’t been replaced in full. Alejandro Garnacho and Johan Manzambi have been welcomed to the fold, but it still feels like something is missing in attack, as has been showcased across pre-season, Emery’s depleted outfit lacking punch.
Aston Villa have combated a series of setbacks in central midfield, though, with Joao Gomes emerging as a star at the heart of this Villan project.
How Emery will use Joao Gomes at Aston Villa
Wolves were relegated from the Premier League last season, but Brazil star Gomes was one of the few bright sparks, a tough-tackling menace of a midfielder.
|
Joao Gomes – Wolves Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Stats |
# |
|
Appearances |
130 |
|
Minutes played |
10,013′ |
|
PL appearances |
116 |
|
Goals |
8 |
|
Assists |
6 |
|
Preferred position |
Centre-midfield |
|
Preferred foot |
Right |
The 25-year-old brings energy and intensity and a duel-winning hunger to the nucleus of Emery’s system. Whereas Boubacar Kamara instils control and composure, Gomes brings fire to the midfield game, and this contrast could bear dividends over the course of the campaign.
However, Gomes has a lot to prove. Emery is a perfectionist, and though he will appreciate the Brazilian’s high-octane approach, there will also be an expectation that he will smooth out the more frenetic elements of his game – all the while retaining the essence of his ability.
Against Bayern Munich during a recent 2-1 pre-season defeat, Gomes scored his side’s only goal, but he also struggled to contain an insistent Bavarian press, and will need to adapt after spending several years hemmed against superior outfits in a lowly Wolves team.
Aston Villa could see bid accepted for Premier League midfielder
Gomes is getting up to speed in the Aston Villa midfield, but with Youri Tielemans sold to Manchester United, Amadou Onana sidelined for a long spell after rupturing his right knee with Belgium at the World Cup, and Kamara only just returning from a lengthy lay-off, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Emery to welcome another star to the fold.
Well, according to Football Insider, that signing could come from Tottenham Hotspur, with Pape Matar Sarr keen to leave. The Senegalese star has spent two seasons as a fringe option at Spurs, previously starting 27 games across the 2023/24 campaign.
Tottenham would let the 23-year-old go for £30m, a comparatively affordable figure in today’s overinflated market. Sarr is talented, but Spurs have invested heavily in their midfield this summer, so it’s unlikely he will feature prominently under Roberto De Zerbi – who scarcely played him when taking the ripped reins several months ago.
Sarr has been at something of a lower ebb over the past two years, but we have seen him bloom in the Premier League to a prodigious degree, emerging as a complete midfielder during Ange Postecoglou’s early reign down N17. In this, he could end up challenging Gomes for a starting berth at Villa Park this season. He might even win that battle.
Gomes is undoubtedly more combative and physical a midfielder, and in that, he offers Emery something unique, but Sarr’s own brand of relentless energy would see him thrive alongside Kamara, allowing for more control on the ball while still pumping intensity across the four corners of the field.
When on his A-game, Sarr has shown him to be precise in the challenge, smart in his passing, finding the right man and picking the right moment to charge. These are the kind of nuances that often evade statistical recognition, but Emery will be aware of such strengths – and the calmness he instils could see Sarr realise his potential in the Premier League.
Gomes struggles to complete passes without ever being that adventurous on the ball. He ranked lowly across percentiles for ball-playing, long-passing and chance-creating in the Premier League last season, playing a prominent role.
Both players could impress at Villa Park, but the completeness with which Sarr conducts himself in the engine room suggests that he could end up outranking Gomes in an Emery system that rewards promotion of the finer points of the tactical game.
