Aston Villa could inject an illustrious piece of Spanish flair into the ranks in the coming weeks, with boss Unai Emery circling on the first signing of his reign at the club.
Indeed, reports from Spain have highlighted Sevilla’s midfield maestro Isco to be hot property on the current market in recent days, with Aston Villa set to rival Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the pursuit of the star.
The Claret and Blue were tarnished and in dire need of rejuvenation when Emery stepped in during the latter days of October, and have since risen from their languishing position under the recently-sacked Steven Gerrard and struck three league wins from their past four outings.
The 30-year-old has not quite hit the ground running since his summer move from Real Madrid, but with quality remains unquestionable, with Emery sweating over the interest of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who The Sun claim may also pounce.
Coutinho upgrade
Despite a marked upturn in performance and result before the season froze for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Spaniard Emery will not rest easy until he has stamped his mark onto Villa Park and shifted a few stragglers for players of his own liking.
One such ace who could find themselves replaced by the five-time Champions League winner Isco, is Philippe Coutinho with the Brazilian failing to spark the fire in Aston Villa that once landed him a £142m transfer to FC Barcelona from Liverpool.
Now plying his trade with Villa, Coutinho might find himself ousted upon the prospective arrival of Isco, who may offer more in the eyes of Emery, who will be looking to cement the team’s status in the Premier League.
As per Transfermarkt, the Spaniard Isco has made 19 appearances for the Red-Whites, scoring just one goal and assisting three more this term
Sevilla have been beset by a stark decline in form this term, currently stuck in 18th place in La Liga after winning just two games from 14 contests.
Despite this, the former Madrista has maintained a 6.8 rating in the league, demonstrating his exquisite ball-playing skill by completing 87% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes per game and winning 56% of his ground duels.
And according to FBref, the “incredible” ace – as dubbed by Andres Iniesta – ranks within the top 7% of midfielders across major leagues for pass completion, and also in the top 3% for rate of interceptions.
Should he sign for Aston Villa, a club ostensibly on the up, he could bring flair and guile and captivate fans with his wily weaving and slick transitional play.
He would eclipse the recent travails of Coutinho, who has – despite glimpses – failed to emulate his form at Liverpool at Villa Park, where he has now started just six league matches this season, failing to register a single goal or assist.
Furthermore, his 0.5 key passes per game and 82% pass success rate provide evidence that he is certainly on the decline, with that first stat, in particular, a great deal fewer than Isco.
With the Spaniard still offering positivity in abundance within a Sevilla side lacking inspiration and direction, he could be the catalyst for change under Emery’s wing, who is a four-time European champion himself.