Emery could land Nkunku 2.0 in Villa move for £155k-p/w talent who’s “one of the best”

Unai Emery has managed to spark some life into Aston Villa before the season was halted due to the World Cup.

Having won just two Premier League matches this season under former manager Steven Gerrard, Emery has already matched that total in just three games and the future looks bright for the club heading into 2023.

The January transfer window will likely see a couple of new faces arrive in the Midlands, however, Emery might yet secure one of the transfers of the season, with Atletico Madrid sensation Joao Felix recently being linked with the club.

They face competition from fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea, while Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested.

It would be a massive statement of intent if Emery was to sign Felix, and he could unearth his own Christopher Nkunku if he did. According to FBref, the £155k-per-week forward is the third-most similar player to the RB Leipzig star across Europe’s top five leagues, and given Nkunku’s form of late, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

This campaign has seen the two forwards register similar statistics when it comes to shots on target per match (1.58 to 1.19), goal-creating actions (both 5.0), and shot-creating actions per match (4.21 to 3.68).

Both players are extremely dangerous in the final third and Felix ranks in the top 15% across the big five leagues in Europe for progressive passes (2.52 per 90), dribbles completed (1.51), and assists (0.28), proving that he is one of the top performers on the continent.

Felix’s former youth coach Joao Tralhao lavished praise on the 23-year-old, saying he is “at the point where he can be one of the best players in the Atletico squad.” Although, it appears that the player could soon be on the move.

Emery will need to make a scintillating offer to the forward to have any chance of securing his signature such is the competition for him, however, at Villa, Felix would be the key man, with the 51-year-old surely aiming to build a team around him.

Regardless if they sign him or not, the Villa faithful are set for an exciting future under the Spaniard.