2021/22 Premier League Preview – Aston Villa

02/08/21 2478

Dean Smith’s men will be looking to build on a positive 2020/21 campaign when the new season gets underway. But will Jack Grealish be there to help them?

• Manager: Dean Smith

• Stadium: Villa Park

• Last Season: 11th

Following promotion from the Championship in 2019, Aston Villa are preparing for their third consecutive season back in England’s top division.

They narrowly avoided relegation in 2019/20 before registering a respectable 11th-place finish last term. Can they continue to progress this time around?

• What Happened Last Season?

After winning eight of their opening 13 games last season, Villa looked set to challenge for a European spot. However, they struggled for consistency throughout the second half of the campaign.

Ollie Watkins remained a constant threat to opposition teams, chalking up 14 goals and five assists across this debut top-flight season.

Players In

• Emi Buendia – Norwich City (£34.56m)
• Ashley Young – Inter Milan (Free)

Villa grabbed Emi Buendia from Norwich in one of the biggest deals of the summer so far, paying almost £35 million for the Argentine playmaker. Could he be Grealish’s replacement?

A decade after leaving for Manchester United, Ashley Young returns to Villa Park after helping Inter Milan with the Serie A title last term.

Villa are also reportedly on the verge of signing Jamaican forward Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen for £30 million, although that deal has yet to be confirmed.

Players Out

• Mbwana Samatta – Fenerbache (£5.40m)
• Tom Heaton – Manchester United (Free)
• Bjorn Engels – Royal Antwerp (Free)
• Ahmed Elmohamady – Released
• Neil Taylor – Released

Mbwana Samatta has swapped the West Midlands for Istanbul after failing to settle at Villa, while Tom Heaton and Bjorn Engles have joined Manchester United and Royal Antwerp, respectively.

Following Manchester City’s £100 million bid for Grealish, Villa also look set to lose their captain and talisman before the new season gets underway.

• Aston Villa’s Key Player

Emi Martinez – With Grealish seemingly heading for the Villa Park exit, Emi Martinez could become Villa’s most important player this year.

The former Arsenal goalkeeper enjoyed a standout debut season with Smith’s team, keeping 15 clean sheets in the Premier League. Only Ederson (19) and Edouard Mendy (16) kept more.

• What Can Aston Villa Achieve in 2021/22?

There is no hiding from the fact that Grealish’s exit will damage Villa’s chances of improving on last season’s 11th-place finish this time around.

Yes, they have made some shrewd signings during the off-season. But even with Buendia, Young and Bailey on board, Villa are likely to finish just inside the bottome half again.