da aposte e ganhe： Aston Villa are enjoying a fitting summer transfer window after qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four Premier League finish last term, showing the requisite ambition.
da betobet： Of course, Douglas Luiz had to be sold to Juventus in a PSR-centred sacrifice, while Moussa Diaby is also completing a £52m transfer to Al-Ittihad, but the club-record signing petered out after an electric start to life in the Midlands and would see a huge financial benefit collected.
Even further up the field, Jhon Duran's protracted exit saga with numerous clubs may well come to a head in the coming days, with West Ham United fighting to sign the powerful Colombian, 20, albeit unable to agree a deal with Monchi and Co.
Jhon Duran: 2023/24 Aston Villa Stats
Competition
Apps
Starts
Goals
Minutes played
Premier League
23
3
5
462'
Conference League
10
4
2
443'
UECL Qualifiers
2
1
1
83'
FA Cup
1
1
0
70'
Carabao Cup
1
1
0
45'
Stats via Transfermarkt
Duran's undoubted talent is tainted by erratic antics, with his capricious nature suggesting that his sale wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Emery's squad, built from togetherness and coherence.
Duran's exit would leave star striker Ollie Watkins isolated in the attacking rank, and thus moves are being made to sign an exciting successor.
Aston Villa transfer news
Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg has released an update on Aston Villa's pursuit of Hoffenheim forward Maximilian Beier, claiming that an offer has been made to the German.
Beier, 21, enjoyed a tremendous top-flight breakout campaign last season and is consequently earning the attention of some of Europe's biggest outfits – with Chelsea and invincible Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen also interested.
Villa have submitted a concrete proposal to Beier and his representatives but have not yet entered discussions with Hoffenheim. Still, with a €30m (£25m) release clause, this could be an affordable deal for an exciting Duran replacement.
How Max Beier would fit in at Aston Villa
Beier returned to Hoffenheim full-time one year ago after enjoying two years on loan with Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga, scoring ten goals across two league terms.
German Bundesliga: Top Scorers 23/24
Rank
Player
Apps
Minutes
Goals
1.
Harry Kane
32
2,843'
36
2.
Serhou Guirassy
28
2,214'
28
3.
Luis Openda
34
2,716'
24
4.
Deniz Undav
30
2,097'
18
5.
Maximilian Beier
33
2,435'
16
Stats via Bundesliga
It's fair to say that he has come on leaps and bounds since moving to top-flight level, finishing as the Bundesliga's fifth-highest goalscorer last season with 16 strikes from 33 outings – 29 starts.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 14% of forwards in the division for goals scored and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90, with his fleet feet allowing him to dart into space, latch onto passes and wreak havoc in the final third.
His pace and deft dribbling ability have earned him praise for his multi-skilled style, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even pronouncing him as "much more than just a goalscorer”, while having also been hailed as "incredibly fast" and "dangerous" by Hoffenheim director, Alexander Rosen.
Because of this dynamic ability, Beier could prove to be an excellent signing to enhance and fortify the fluency and cohesion of Emery's frontline, perhaps even striking a fine partnership with fellow Lions transfer target Joao Felix.
Imagine Max Beier & Joao Felix
Felix enjoyed a promising loan spell with Barcelona last season but is not set to complete a permanent transfer to Camp Nou given the La Liga giants' financial troubles.
The Atletico Madrid star, whose fractured relationship with Diego Simeone has seemingly precluded his chance of remaining at the Wanda Metropolitano, is on Villa's radar, with Portuguese outlet Record claiming that the player 'has his bags packed' in the eventuality that Villa do make their move in the coming weeks.
The Portugal international scored ten goals and added six assists across all competitions, with his La Blaugrana boss Xavi even describing him as the "difference-maker" after one influential performance.
Felix has long been criticised for his lack of prolificness despite an incredible level of technical talent, but he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90 following his efforts at Barca.
The 24-year-old's silky-smooth movements on the left flank could add quite the injection of flair and panache to Emery's system, perhaps even providing the skills to cement the club's exciting stature, succeeding in Europe and retaining their place in the Premier League's top-four.
Felix, moreover, has the kind of creative game that would enhance the attacking performances of Beier, with the Germany international only missing 11 big chances in the Bundesliga last season despite scoring 16 times.
To put that in perspective, Watkins, whose incredible goalscoring season fired the Villa toward newfound heights, but his 19-goal tally in the English top flight also saw 22 big chances squandered. That is an impressive rate of scoring but further underscores just how exciting Beier's addition to the fold might be.
And of course, Beier's quality as 'more than just a goalscorer' makes for the perfect supplementation for a player such as Felix, who found his feet in Catalonia last year and could now truly rise to the fore in England's Midlands, with his strike rate sustained by Beier's protean threat and Watkins' playmaking prowess, winning the Premier League's Playmaker of the Season award last year (with 13 assists).
There's work to be done with both deals, but if Villa, with the pull of the Champions League now at their ground, manage to pull both off, there's a real chance that last season's success could be trumped and then some.
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