Monchi Can Repeat Villa’s Tielemans Coup With £100k-p/w Ace

Following Monchi’s appointment as transfer chief – or president of football operations, to give him his official title – Aston Villa can ramp up plans for the 2023-24 season.

With European football returning to Villa Park, it is important the Villans strengthen their squad as they look to balance continental football with the bread and butter of the Premier League.

What is the latest with Aston Villa’s transfer activity?

Monchi gained a reputation during his time as Sevilla’s sporting director as someone capable of finding a gem, while also garnering big fees for players sold on.

Villa have been quick to move on unwanted players, while first-team regular Ashley Young has also departed, and now focus is on those coming into the club.

The Midlands outfit have been linked with a whole array of players, from Napoli ace Hirving Lozano to Manchester United captain Harry Maguire. One player has already been brought in, meanwhile, with Youri Tielemans arriving from neighbours Leicester City as a free agent prior to Monchi’s appointment.

That signing was hailed as a coup of sorts for Villa, given the midfielder supposedly had a number of clubs to choose from following his Leicester departure, and they could be about to repeat a similar trick.

Is Leeds United striker Rodrigo a good fit for Aston Villa?

Having plucked a highly regarded player from one relegated club, Villa could do likewise in moving for Leeds United’s Rodrigo, a player previously described as a “livewire” by former striker Aaron McLean.

According to football reporter Ben Jacobs, via the Leeds United Ultras’ YouTube channel, the Villans are battling Brighton and Hove Albion and even Paris Saint-Germain for the Spain international’s signature.

Rodrigo’s 13 goals last season – Jack Harrison was next highest for Leeds with a mere five – were not enough to keep United in the top flight, and they will surely now be tempted to cash in on a player on wages of £100k-a-week, according to Capology.

With 0.56 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes over the past year, as per FBref, Rodrigo ranks in the top 12% of his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, that figure increases to 0.60 on the basis of last season alone – in a poor Leeds side, remember – which compares to 0.43 for Ollie Watkins and 0.65 for Danny Ings among Villa players.

Signing a player from the Championship should not be sneered at, either, with a number of relegated players going on to prove themselves when given a lifeline.

Tielemans is likely to be one of those, much in the same way as Andy Robertson (Hull City to Liverpool), Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle United to Liverpool) and Harry Maguire (Hull to Leicester) to name just a few.

Rodrigo showed during the last of his three Premier League seasons with Leeds that he is good enough to stay in the division. With Monchi in place, it may just be a matter of time until he has a chance to prove that at Villa.