Unai Emery led Aston Villa to success. Now he’s making their squad younger
Villa have invested in a number of players in their early 20s this summer to bolster and revitalise their squad
By Ali Tweedale for Opta Analyst
There is a pattern to Aston Villa’s recent transfer business. It’s not as if their squad was too old last season. They had the fifth-oldest starting XI of the 20 Premier League teams and achieved their highest finish in 28 years, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time. But manager Unai Emery and president of football operations Monchi have been working hard to improve the squad in the transfer window – almost exclusively with players in their early 20s.
Villa have signed Amadou Onana (22), Ian Maatsen (22), Cameron Archer (22), Jaden Philogene (22), Samuel Iling-Junior (20), Lewis Dobbin (21), Enzo Barrenechea (23) and, the only exception, 30-year-old Ross Barkley. There is also the possibility that 18-year-old Kosta Nedeljkovic, who signed in January before going back to Red Star Belgrade on loan for the rest of the season, will join the first-team squad.
