January is set to be a busy month for Aston Villa, more so off the field than on it.
Unai Emery is keen to strengthen his squad in the transfer window as they look to book themselves a place in Europe.
|
Top 4 in the PL (as of 5pm GMT Sunday) |
Matches |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
Points |
GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Liverpool |
20 |
13 |
6 |
1 |
45 |
25 |
|
2. Man City |
20 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
43 |
25 |
|
3. Arsenal |
21 |
13 |
4 |
4 |
43 |
22 |
|
4. Aston Villa |
21 |
13 |
4 |
4 |
43 |
16 |
The priority position seems to be an attacker, where the side is slightly lacking in depth despite the exploits of Ollie Watkins, Moussa Diaby and Co.
The latest on Morgan Rogers to Aston Villa
This weekend, Fabrizio Romano took to X (formerly Twitter) to provide the latest on Aston Villa’s hunt for Middlesbrough livewire Morgan Rogers.
The young forward is allegedly Emery’s main target, and the boss will hope to secure it his man this month. A move is likely to occur, with the Middlesbrough man eager to move to the Premier League side.
Speaking about the situation this weekend, Boro boss Michael Carrick stated: “Not really [much I can tell you]. It’s just that time of year where there is plenty of rumours and speculation. From my point of view, watching Morgan today, he played well. There is nothing to say really on that one.
“It’s all eyes on Tuesday and we expect him to be with us. From my point of view, it’s pure speculation. Nothing surprises me in football and I don’t get involved in that. I’m only interested in the players we’ve got here to choose from. I picked a team today to try and win the game and we just couldn’t quite pull it off.”
The stats that prove Rogers would be a good signing
When Watkins joined Villa for £28m in 2020, the Villans faithful could only have dreamed of what the ex-Brentford striker has become.
Indeed, the 27-year-old has been arguably Villa’s most consistent performer since his arrival, scoring 57 goals in 145 appearances.
The Englishman has developed even further since Emery was appointed, as displayed by his 14 goals and ten assists in 27 games across all competitions this season.
However, Emery could sign Watkins 2.0 in the form of Rogers, who would be following the strikers’ footsteps by taking the step up to the top flight from the Championship.
The former Man City star has improved massively under Carrick after moving to Middlesbrough in the summer, with his boss describing him as a “huge talent.” Although the 21-year-old has only scored twice in the league, he has become vital to the way his side plays and the table below shows a selection of Rogers’ stats from this Championship season that prove he would be a good signing for Villa.
|
Morgan Rogers: 2023/24 Season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Rogers |
Championship Ranking |
|
Goals |
0.14 |
Bottom 73% |
|
Assists |
0.41 |
Top 2% |
|
Key passes |
2.55 |
Top 5% |
|
Shot-creating actions |
4.82 |
Top 9% |
|
Touches (att pen) |
5.44 |
Top 13% |
|
Tackles won |
1.38 |
Top 15% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Rogers seemingly has the perfect profile for Emery’s second striker role in the 4-4-1-1 variant. This season, the former Lincoln City player has played in the number 10 role, displaying creativity and providing for those around him, as shown by his impressive shot-creating actions, key passes, and assists.
What makes Rogers unique is his immense technical ability, despite being 6 foot 3. His stature enables him to pick up second balls, and it would allow Villa to play much more direct, acting as Emery’s version of Kai Havertz to Mikel Arteta in a way. The Boro star would also help Villa overcome their Achilles heel, therefore, which has been teams that sit in and defend in numbers.
The artist is also extremely effective out of possession, winning tackles to retain the ball up the field and stop transitions, which suits Emery’s intense, fluid system. It’s clear that this signing would be excellent, with Rogers ticking every box needed to succeed at Villa under Emery.