Aston Villa’s summer signings so far have shown they will be a team to fear in the Champions League next season under Unai Emery.
Ian Maatsen arrives with plenty to prove, while the likes of Ross Barkley, Cameron Archer and Jadon Philogene add some much-needed strength in depth across several areas of the squad, which could be crucial if they progress far in Europe.
It has been the signing of Amaou Onana which has turned plenty of heads. The Belgian midfielder arrived in the Midlands for a fee in the region of £50m, spurning the advances of Manchester United in the process.
Will the Spaniard make any more marquee signings during the current summer transfer window, however? As it looks like the 52-year-old is still keen on bringing a player who has been perennially linked to the club over the coming weeks.
Aston Villa still showing interest in signing Chelsea star
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who was speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast (via the 4th Official), the Villa Park outfit are reportedly still keen on bringing Conor Gallagher to the club before the end of the summer window.
The hunt for the Englishman has been an ongoing saga since the end of last season. Emery clearly admires Gallagher as he looks to add a solid partner for Onana in the heart of the pitch.
Journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that the Blues want a fee of around £55m for their academy graduate, which could perhaps be slightly out of Emery’s price tag.
Gallagher’s contract at the Stamford Bridge side runs out at the end of next season, however, which could give Villa some room to negotiate with the Blues should Emery be desperate to bring him to the club.
His form last term means that he could easily slot into the Villa starting XI next term.
Conor Gallagher’s season in numbers
The 24-year-old has worked his way up to becoming a first team star at Chelsea, enduring a few spells out on loan before establishing himself in the starting XI during the 2022/23 campaign.
It was under Mauricio Pochettino last term in which the Englishman raised his profile significantly, however, making a total of 50 appearances in all competitions.
Metric
2022/23
2023/24
Goals
3
5
Assists
1
7
Big chances created
5
11
Total duels won per game
3.5
5.7
Tackles per game
1.3
2.3
Via Sofascore
The midfielder demonstrated his attacking abilities in the process, scoring seven times while registering nine assists in all competitions as he shone when compared with the rest of the team.
Indeed, among the squad, Gallagher ranked second for overall Sofascore rating (7.31) in the Premier League, while also ranking fourth for goals and assists (12), second for big chances created (11), and for key passes per game (1.4), yet more evidence of his attacking talents, creating plenty of chances for others.
His passing skills were also on show last season. Out of the entire Premier League, Gallagher ranked in the top 9% for pass success rate (89;2%), proving that he is more than able to dictate matches and control the midfield area.
He would certainly be able to form a solid partnership with Onana should he join Villa, plus he is also statistically similar to a Euro 2024 sensation…
Conor Gallagher plays like Fabian Ruiz
The Spaniard was one of the finest players at the most recent European Championships, emerging as the beating heart for Spain as they won their fourth continental title.
Ruiz not only registered four goal contributions during Spain’s victorious tournament, but he also created three big chances, averaged 1.7 key passes per game while finishing the competition with a 91% pass success rate.
Like Gallagher, his passing is a key strength, as demonstrated in Germany, while he isn’t shy in bursting forward from the heart of the midfield to create chances for others either.
Indeed, the Spaniard is the fifth-most comparable player to Gallagher via FBref, meaning Villa could be signing a player similar to the Euro 2024 star.
The pair also registered similar statistics domestically with regard to shots per 90 (1.38 vs 1.43), pass success rate (both 89.2%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.14 vs 3.01) and percentage of aerial duels won per 90 (47.2% vs 33.3%) last season.
Ruiz has proved he is one of the most exciting midfielders on the continent due to his performances for club and country of late. Could Gallagher follow in these footsteps?
What Conor Gallagher could offer Aston Villa
It is clear that Gallagher could offer Villa a key threat going forwards, which would allow the likes of Onana to demonstrate his defensive abilities by tidying up behind the Englishman, giving him the freedom to aid the attack.
The Chelsea star can also chip in with the defensive aspects of the game when Villa do not have the ball, however. When compared to his positional peers, the 24-year-old ranks in the top 25% for tackles per 90 (2.45) while ranking in the top 28% for interceptions (1.24) and blocks (1.44) per 90.
Hardly earth-shattering, but solid enough to give Emery some added protection to his midfield.
Respected analyst EBL stated that Gallagher was a “pressing and transition monster” back in January 2023 amid links to Everton, and this sort of playing style could be advantageous to the Spanish coach next season.
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Signing the midfielder would help Emery establish a midfield which would be among one of the finest in the Premier League, giving the club a wonderful chance of replicating their fourth-place finish from last season.
While £55m may be the asking price, the Midlands side will be keen to bring this down substantially, especially given his contract scenario.
He may have to sell another first-team player or two in order to fund a potential move, but this would certainly be worth it considering how impressive Gallagher has been of late.
