What a disappointment, we get our hopes up for yet another transfer window and we end up with what?!!!
The extended contract of a world class keeper Emiliano Martinez.
A fabulous left back arrival, who can surely be one of the keys to unlock our pressing need for supply to the strikers, in Lucas Digne.
A free, or nominal fee arrival of a centre back who can also cover as a defensive midfielder and/or right back, so cover for Konsa and Cash, in Calum Chambers … a 27-year-old with Champions League experience no less.
Cover for our keeper with a loan of Robin Olsen from Roma.
And a young and highly rated centre-back, Kerr Smith, from Dundee United.
So not a bad transfer window really was it?
Oh sorry, I forgot, we also got the football worlds third most expensive ever player, Brazilian star, Philippe Coutinho… on loan, with an option to buy, if he proves himself – which we all know (hope, pray and so on!) he will.
And this in the most difficult transfer window where attracting top players can really be a job and a half.
REVIEWING #AVFC JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW | Bissouma, Targett, Steer & Kesler https://t.co/BGgOB1WtVB
— Vital Villa (@VitalVilla) January 31, 2022
A player who, although not being the next level, never let us down.
As platypus says in the transfer window forum thread:
Turning down three bids for Dougie probably puts to bed the thoughts that he’s not wanted here. From the club’s perspective at least. I think he’s been our most consistent performer this season – even during our wonky start he was the one player putting in a good performance every week. Would have been smooth-brain stuff to sell him.
If someone before the window had offered:
Targett -> Digne
Steer -> Olsen
El Ghazi -> Coutinho
Axel -> Chambers
Who wouldn’t have taken it?
Aston Villa, finally acting like a big club and as I say in the podcast with Liam, the signing of Coutinho alone, is a 12 out of 10 signing, because it opens the door for us, if we are good enough for him, we are good enough for all comers.
This, and the amazing generation of youth players who have a fair chance of breaking through, could well be a fantastic era for Villa and might just put a smile on the faces of us, the long suffering fans.
