Douglas Luiz is on board the proverbial ship, chugging toward the westering sun and disappearing beyond the horizon. Aston Villa are resigned to selling him to Juventus, necessary to stay in line with PSR.
The Bianconeri are set to sign the Brazil international for about £17m, with Villa claiming Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior in return too.
Whether such players are makeweights or players tailored to perform prominently within Emery's vision remains to be seen but it's without question that a sense of malaise has been left lingering at Villa Park, like mist.
After qualifying for the Champions League, the hope is that the Lions will cement their newfound position of power and build for lasting success, but losing Luiz threatens to be a detrimental blow, having been described as "one of the best 6s" in English football by journalist Adam Gilk.
Whether McKennie, who was criticised for his "poor" passing and "mistimed" tackling by journalist Beren Cross during his botched loan stint with Leeds United in 2022/23, is up for the task remains to be seen. Villa might be better off looking elsewhere.
Villa lining up Premier League star
Aston Villa have been eyeing a deal for Chelsea's Conor Gallagher for several weeks but now need to further their advances with haste after an important development.
Indeed, as per The Guardian, Chelsea are considering making a U-turn and offering the Three Lions star a new contract at Stamford Bridge, despite the vested interest of Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
Valued at £50m, Gallagher has already been the focus of recent discussions between the Blues and Villa, so the blocks are in place to make a move.
Monchi and Co just need to move the pesky PSR quandary out of the way first.
Conor Gallagher's season in numbers
From the onset of Chelsea's struggles over the past few years, one constant source of optimism has been the ever-flowing talent cascading from Cobham Academy.
Gallagher, now aged 24, has been one of the creams of that crop but now faces an untimely exit from his boyhood club as they look to fund the summer's anticipated spending. Gallagher is a homegrown product and thus would bring home pure profit if he was to be sold.
Aston Villa must pounce on the opportunity to bring him to the Midlands, especially so after losing Luiz. Across all competitions last season, he scored seven goals and added nine assists over 50 matches, but his influence stretched far further than that of goal contributions.
Hailed for bringing "balance and chemistry" to the Chelsea first team by reporter Liam Twomey, the £50k-per-week ace is the veritable lifeblood and makes such a difference to the performances of those around him.
Ranking among the top 17% of midfielders in the Premier League (2023/24) for successful take-ons and the top 20% for ball recoveries made per 90, as per FBref, Gallagher would clearly bring the energy and enthusiasm needed.
Whether signing McKennie would affect any bid for his signature is likely alarming for supporters. But would he actually be better than the Juventus star?
How Conor Gallagher compares to Weston McKennie
In a word: yes. McKennie does have his strengths and should not be defined by a short spell at Elland Road that saw him thrown into the firepit in January 2023, but he's not too dissimilar from Gallagher and the Blues man is unquestionably performing to a higher standard.
As per FBref, McKennie ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 5% for clearances and the top 17% for progressive carries per 90.
He's been described in the past as "one of the best players at Juventus this year and one of the top midfielders in Serie A" by the USMNT head coach Greg Berhalter, who naturally spoke kindly of the American but not without credibility.
Matches played
37
34
Matches started
37
29
Goals
5
0
Assists
7
7
Pass completion
92%
81%
Touches per game
70.4
44.9
Key passes per game
1.4
1.2
Ball recoveries per game
6.0
3.4
Tackles per game
2.3
1.4
Dribbles per game
1.0 (68%)
0.5 (38%)
Duels won per game
5.7 (50%)
3.4 (50%)
The comparisons between the respective stars' campaigns speak of Gallagher's superiority in all of athletic output, ball-playing ability and defensive commitment.
For Emery's system, reliant on hard work and sharp tactical awareness, Gallagher would be the one to make the most marked impact on the squad, with one analyst even noting that he's something of a "pressing and transition monster".
McKennie's mediocre defensive metrics hardly suggest that he is indeed the suitable man to replace Luiz in the centre of the park, even if he might be considered a more dynamic and advanced player anyway – the 25-year-old featured nine times in right midfield for Juve last season.
While Boubacar Kamara offers the sound defensive skill set to allow a player such as McKennie to play with more freedom and security, Gallagher is the complete package and has proven himself in the Premier League moreover.
McKennie, conversely, flattered to deceive during his stay in England's top flight, completing just 78% of his passes and winning only 39% of his ground duels across his 16 starting appearances for Leeds, as per Sofascore.
Different circumstances; different conditions. Sure. But Gallagher is a player who could be a real difference-maker for Emery, not only filling in the Luiz-shaped hole but ensuring the club enjoy success domestically and on the continent during the forthcoming campaign.
Aston Villa must sell £25m star who earns more than Weston McKennie
He could be set for a move to Italy this summer.
ByJoe NuttallJun 13, 2024
