Aston Villa have had one of the most impressive seasons in the Premier League in recent years. After being a consistent top-four challenger all season under Unai Emery, they finally had Champions League football confirmed after Tottenham lost 2-0 at home to Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Villa are currently on 68 points, although they could end on 71 if they win their final game of the season, which is away to the in-form Crystal Palace. That will be their second-highest points tally in the Premier League, just falling short of the 74 they got in 1992/93 when they finished second in the table, behind Manchester United.
At home, Villa have been formidable, winning 12 of their 19 games at Villa Park, scoring 48 goals and winning an impressive 40 points. That is bettered only by Liverpool with 45, Arsenal and City, who both have 44 points, according to Understat.
It has certainly been a phenomenal season for Villa, who will be hoping to build on their successes of this season by getting a top-four spot once more in 2024/25 and making a good account of themselves amongst Europe’s elite in the Champions League.
With that in mind, it will be the case that Villa look to strengthen their squad next season. They have already been linked with a whole host of players, including one current Premier League star.
Villa could sign Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Arsenal and England attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe. The 23-year-old has struggled for game time at the Emirates Stadium this season, and could well look to leave to play more regular football. He has managed just 453 minutes in all competitions for the Gunners this season, although has been unavailable for ten games due to injury.
According to The Mirror, Smith Rowe is one of “at least seven players” to have been made available for transfer this summer by Mikel Arteta and Co, a list which also includes the likes of Aaron Rasmdale and Eddie Nketiah.
Villa are one of two clubs to hold interest in signing Smith Rowe, with West Ham United the other side considering a deal, according to a report earlier this year from GIVEMESPORT. The Villans may well have the upper hand on that deal, due to their Champions League involvement next season.
He could well be available for around £30m which is a considerable way above his market value. As per Football Observatory, Smith Rowe is valued at just £8.5m ahead of the 2024 summer window.
How Smith Rowe and Jack Grealish compare
Bringing in the Arsenal man could end the hunt for the long-overdue replacement for Jack Grealish, three years after his £100m move from Villa Park to the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City.
It certainly feels like the versatile attacker could fill the void Manchester City’s number 10 left when he departed Aston Villa. The similarities between Smith Rowe and Grealish are noticeable.
Former Villa striker Tony Cascarino compared the two back in 2021 on talkSPORT, explaining that Smith Rowe has “this amazing ability of rolling players”, before going on to explain how “Jack Grealish does that really well”. He is excellent at drawing fouls and carrying the ball over long distances, just like Villa's former skipper.
Indeed, Smith Rowe’s close control and his ability to create space for himself in tight situations is one of his very best attributes. His former manager from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town, Danny Cowley, believes the 23-year-old is so good he "could find space in a telephone box."
In fact, Smith Rowe and Grealish’s statistics stack up very closely when comparing, the Arsenal man’s impressive 2021/22 season.
As per Fbref, Smith Rowe averaged 3.05 progressive carries and 2.07 carries into the final third per 90 minutes. Comparatively, Grealish averages 7.77 progressive carries and 4.11 carries into the final third per 90 minutes this season. That's a pretty big difference, although it does suggest they both like to carry the ball at their feet.
However, the Arsenal outcast averaged more passes into the final third with 1.92 per 90 minutes compared to Grealish’s 1.34 this season, and just slightly less progressive passes per 90 minutes, with 3.99 compared to the City winger’s 4.46 per 90 minutes.
Interestingly, though, the ten goals that Smith Rowe scored in 2021/22 is a better output than any of Grealish’s Premier League seasons so far. The England international’s best tally is eight goals in 2019/20 for Villa.
Apps
33
Minutes
1,920
Goals
10
Assists
2
Stats from Transfermarkt
Both stylistically, and statistically, Grealish and Smith Rowe are very similar footballers. Operating as one of the false wingers under Unai Emery, the manager who gave him his debut, could see Smith Rowe thrive once again in professional football.
The England international would thrive in that role in the half-space behind Ollie Watkins, feeding Villa’s centre-forward with passes and being able to carry the ball in central areas, where he does his best work.
Dubbed “the Croyden De Bruyne” over the years by Arsenal fans, there is little doubt of Smith Rowe’s quality. Perhaps a move to Villa can help him rediscover his best form at the highest level, and fill the void left by Grealish a few years ago.
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