Aston Villa’s 3-0 win over BSC Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday evening was certainly no fluke, especially considering how well the club have performed since Unai Emery took over.
It was a just reward for their form and the fact they managed to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League last term to reach the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition.
The Spaniard made some tweaks to his side over the summer, selling a few first-team players, while also bringing in several new signings to bolster his senior squad.
It looks as though these moves have paid off handsomely. Might the manager have landed another one or two players, however? There were a few names linked who ended up elsewhere.
The players Aston Villa wanted to sign this summer
The lure of Champions League football enabled the club to sign the likes of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen, who could have moved somewhere else.
João Félix was one name that was linked with a move to the Midlands, especially as the window was entering into the final few weeks.
Emery was reportedly plotting a swoop for the Atlético Madrid gem, who had spent last season on loan at Barcelona.
Unfortunately, the club missed out as Felix chose to sign for Chelsea instead, proving that money does talk. Emery was also keen on securing moves for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Raphinha and even Nicolas Jackson during the final few days of the window, yet nothing materialised.
On the pitch, it appears that missing out on Felix and a host of other names hasn’t bothered Emery considering how impressive a start to the season they have made.
He isn’t the only manager to miss out on a big name, however, as Paul Lambert will certainly testify…
Paul Lambert’s Villa signings
When the Scot took over the club in the summer of 2012, he went about making a few changes to his side, bringing in Christian Benteke, Ron Vlaar and Matthew Lowton, among others.
It was a deal to sign Crewe captain Ashley Westwood which turned heads, as Lambert shelled out around £2m to lure the player to the Premier League.
He went on to make over 150 appearances for the club between 2012 and 2017, scoring five goals and grabbing 12 assists, but Westwood was hardly a marquee name which the supporters expected during Lambert’s first transfer window in charge.
Christian Benteke
Genk
Ron Vlaar
Feyenoord
Matthew Lowton
Sheffield United
Joe Bennett
Middlesbrough
Karim El Ahmadi
Feyenoord
Ashley Westwood
Crewe
Jordan Bowery
Chesterfield
Brett Holman
AZ Alkmaar
Villa finished 15th in the top flight that season, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup, but could it have been better if the manager had managed to secure one of his transfer targets during the summer? A certain Kevin De Bruyne was linked with a move at the same time fellow midfielder Westwood arrived.
When Aston Villa missed out on Kevin De Bruyne
At the time, the Belgian was just at the start of what would turn out to be an extraordinary career, with his talents earning him a move to Chelsea.
Lambert wasn’t exactly blessed with a financial war chest; therefore, he was keen on utilising the loan market ahead of the 2012/13 campaign.
“When I came into Villa it was clear the loan market was going to be a requirement for us if we wanted to bring quality in,” Lambert said (as relayed by the Birmingham Mail).
“Prior to signing [Christian] Benteke, I spoke to [Romelu] Lukaku, and we also looked at signing [Kevin] De Bruyne on loan – when they were both kids at Chelsea.
“Look at De Bruyne now – he’s one of the best in the world. That’s what happens in football, you get so many you pursue but who slip through the grass for whatever reason.”
Whatever happened to the Belgian midfielder next?
Kevin De Bruyne’s statistics at Manchester City
His spell at Chelsea was unsuccessful, going on to join Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga two years later. It was in Germany that he finally began to showcase his true talents and this caught the eye of Manchester City, who paid a then club-record fee of £55m to prise him away from the continent and back into the Premier League.
During his first two seasons, the club won just one League Cup, but it was the arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2016 which was the catalyst the former Chelsea sensation needed to take his game to the next level.
The 33-year-old helped lead the club to the Premier League title in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons, with a further four league titles coming in a row from the 2020/21 campaign.
During his time at City, the Belgian has made a total of 387 appearances, registering 274 goal contributions – 103 goals and 171 assists – across all competitions, winning six league titles and the Champions League.
Former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers even hailed De Bruyne as “world-class” back in 2019, and he has been arguably one of the finest attacking midfielders in the world since then.
While his market value may have dipped recently, this is due to age and not performance. According to Transfermarkt, he reached a peak value of £126m in December 2019 and De Bruyne is still valued at £42m, which isn’t bad considering he turned 33 in June.
Even though it would only have been a temporary move, if Lambert had signed the midfielder all those years ago, he could have changed the trajectory of his career, no doubt about that.
Instead, the Villa faithful had to settle for someone like Westwood. He didn’t do too badly during his spell in the Midlands, but missing out on De Bruyne is definitely a major what-if moment in the club’s recent history.
Emery’s transfer strategy appears to be paying off so far and the fans will be hoping this can continue for the duration of his stay at the club.
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