The golden gate of Champions League qualification has swung open for Aston Villa and Unai Emery, who have soaked up the sunshine of securing a spot among Europe's elite with a top-four Premier League finish.
Emery has refashioned a struggling outfit, rooting out the rot and instilling an inner belief that has been demonstrated through supersonic growth, reaching the Europa Conference League last term before finishing fourth this week.
Now, the gates have indeed unfurled but the progress made must now be viewed as the foundation of years of success yet to come. The looming summer is a critical juncture in this sense.
Aston Villa eyeing exciting transfer
According to a report from French outlet L'Equipe, Paris Saint-Germain's versatile midfielder Carlos Soler is expected to leave the Ligue 1 champions this summer and is attracting a hive of interest, with Villa said to be holding advanced talks regarding the move.
The Spanish star has previously caught the eye of Arsenal and Liverpool and would mark a major coup for the Villans and an illustration of the newfound power that is a product of Emery's prowess.
Why Villa are interested in Carlos Soler
The revisionism vis-a-vis Emery's profile on English shores simply highlights the magnitude of his success at Villa Park, where he has sent a club that, only five years ago, languished in the Championship. The sharpened recruitment strategy suggests that Soler could make a real impact at the club.
PSG signed the Spain international, who is 27, from Valencia in a €20m (£17m) deal back in 2020, and while he has won a wealth of silverware across his two years in Paris, he has started just 25 league fixtures across the two terms.
Still, described as the "complete midfielder" by former Valencia stalwart Curro Torres, Soler would tick a lot of boxes for the Villans, who are seeking new full-backs on both sides and a multi-functioning midfielder, according to Football Insider.
Central midfield
141
26
16
Right midfield
92
11
18
Attacking midfield
28
2
1
Left midfield
25
4
1
Defensive midfield
9
3
1
Right-back
5
1
2
Left-back
2
0
0
Due to the showbiz-cluttered nature of PSG's squad – albeit the club is weaning itself away from this failed strategy – Soler has played seven matches as a wide defender this season, picking up a goal and two assists.
But given that the £79k-per-week star ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 18% for assists per 90, as per FBref, it's clear that his creativity could have a real impact within the Villan squad.
With dynamism and versatility on his side, Soler could forge quite the partnership with the focal frontman at Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins, who has scored 27 goals and supplied 13 assists across 52 appearances in all competitions for the club this season.
Watkins is a fantastic player and this comes down to his multi-faceted approach to his football, with teammate Douglas Luiz describing him as an "extraordinary striker" who thrives due to his ability to blend attacking prowess with defensive work rate.
Soler would only serve to increase the depth of the Villan pool of talent and would offer the creative support that could see Watkins carry his storming streak of form into the 2024/25 campaign.
Aston Villa given opportunity to sign £30m star who's like Grealish
He has not had much game time this season but would be an impressive pick up for Villa.
ByJoe NuttallMay 15, 2024
