Unai Emery is ramping up Aston Villa’s preparations for the new season, already making a total of eight summer signings so far.
With a few weeks left of the transfer window, the Spaniard will be aiming to make a couple more as he builds a side which can cope with the demands of both the Premier League and Champions League next term.
Amadou Onana has been the biggest coup of the window, but it now looks as though Emery is chasing another midfielder, this time from Italy…
Aston Villa showing interest in AS Roma midfielder
According to reports in Italy, Villa have apparently made an offer of €20m (£17m) + bonuses for Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante in a bid to improve their squad.
Having lost Douglas Luiz to Juventus a few weeks ago, Emery has been keen on adding another few players to this area, despite signing Onana for £50m from Everton.
A move for the Italian, especially for the fee quoted, would be a wonderful bargain for Monchi, adding some depth to the first-team squad.
Nicolo Zaniolo
Galatasaray
39
Pierluigi Gollini
Hellas Verona
20
Benny Carbone
Sheffield Wednesday
30
Fabio Ferraresi
N/A
1
Not only that, but he could be an ideal partner for Onana as Villa look set to feature in Europe’s premier club competition.
Bryan Cristante’s 2023/24 season in numbers
The 29-year-old played 52 matches for Roma in all competitions last term, missing just two matches all season, which were due to suspension.
He even registered nine goal contributions for the club – four goals and five assists – despite operating from either the centre of the midfield or slightly deeper.
Among his teammates, Cristante ranked in the top five for accurate passes per game (48), accurate long balls per game (2.9), tackles per game (1.9) and big chances created (five), impressing on a wide range of metrics in Serie A.
Adding someone of this quality would be perfect for Onana, who could focus heavily on the defensive aspects of the game, allowing Cristante the freedom to push forward slightly in a no.8 role.
Onana, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, ranks in the top 8% for tackles per 90 (3.06) and in the top 6% for aerial duels won per 90 (2.24), clearly demonstrating how effective he is in these metrics. As a result, he could thrive as the deeper of the two central midfielders.
Cristante clearly boasts an impressive set of skills and he is thought of highly in Italy, notably by national coach Luciano Spalletti following his appointment last year, who said: “Cristante has that physicality that can help you unlock a match. He can be very helpful to his teammates in the midfield. Now physicality has become a fundamental aspect of football.”
He may be 29, but the midfielder could add some steel to the midfield plus a plethora of experience at the top level, having made nearly 300 appearances in the Italian top flight, while also earning 43 caps for his country, winning Euro 2021 in the process.
Cristante would be a perfect partner for Onana, and it could help Villa replicate their fourth-place finish in the Premier League from last season.
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