I can’t keep up! Hot on the heels of Tom Heaton’s arrival this morning, the Aston Villa have now confirmed the arrival of the wonderfully-named Marvelous Nakamba from Club Brugge, linking up with erstwhile club-mate Wesley Moræs at Villa Park.
The 24-year-old midfielder joins for an undisclosed fee, arriving at B6 via Nancy, Vitesse Arnhem and Club Brugge in Belgium, where he played Champions League football – useful experience for a young player.
Dean Smith is delighted to have secured his services: “Marvelous fits the criteria of the type of player we were looking for. He’s very mobile, he’s very good in possession and he will fit in with our style of play.”
And here’s what the man himself has to say about the move:
Villa’s social media department once again nailed the announcement, and fans have welcomed the player’s arrival, although some are wondering quite where he will fit in, particularly with Douglas Luiz also set to link up once a work permit is granted following his purchase from Manchester City. The midfield is starting to resemble Grand Central at rush hour.
What a #marvelous morning! Tom Heaton and Marvelous signed up, excellent signings. #avfc #utv #vtid
— ToneTravels (@ToneTravels) August 1, 2019
✍️🇿🇼 #avfc pic.twitter.com/mjLGxPzpcD
— astonforza (@astonforza) August 1, 2019
What a Marvelous way to unveil a new player #AVFC #Marvelous https://t.co/l8tThtOO6P
— The VAR Side Spurs Podcast (@TheVARSidePod) August 1, 2019
I think Marvellous is more suited to being Mcginn’s back up to being Luiz’s back up. He’s a very similar player to Mcginn and i’m sure he’ll provide great competition #avfc
— Lance Clinton (@AVFCLancelot) August 1, 2019
Villa have strengthened the squad to exceed most people’s expectations this summer, and while doubts persist over the ability to integrate such a large and diverse number of players (not to mention keeping them all happy when they miss out on selection), the recruitment has been canny and designed to fit into a carefully considered formula.
Far from ‘doing a Fulham’, the club have conducted their business early and the new faces will have had plenty of time to orientate themselves with life at Villa ahead of the season opener on 10th August.
There can seldom have been a more exciting time to be a Villa fan as the club continues to splash the cash, taking summer spending well over the £140m mark to put us in heady company with the likes of Real Madrid, Atlético, Juve and Barcelona.
With significant and considered investment by the owners, record season ticket sales and a waiting list of thousands, we’re taking this Premier League lark pretty seriously, aren’t we? Exciting time to be a Villan, innit?!
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