Aston Villa certainly appear to be a team and a club on the up under Unai Emery.
The Spaniard has breathed new life into the Midlands-based outfit after a shocking period under his predecessor, Steven Gerrard.
Emery’s team are hard-working with no little skill, and fully deserved to get into last season’s Champions League.
The season ahead will undoubtedly be a tough one, as Eddie Howe and Newcastle United can attest after their Champions League dream turned into a nightmare last season.
Unai Emery wants Joao Felix at Aston Villa
To that end, if Villa are able to land players with top level European experience, so much the better.
Although he’s often been thought of as something of an enigma, there’s little doubting the talent of Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix.
The Portuguese spent last season on loan at Barcelona and provided a handful of world class moments.
Barca’s own financial concerns are unlikely to see them bid for him again, and there might well even be a school of thought that a few fleeting moments of genius does not a brilliant player make.
Try telling that to Unai Emery, however.
“Aston Villa are dreaming of Joao Felix,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.
“He’s the ultimate target, especially for Unai Emery who’s a big fan of the player and he’d love to work with him.
“It’s still early, nothing advancing now, but one to watch.
“Let me clarify guys that it’s a complicated deal because it’s very expensive on fee and salary, but Villa want to try.”
Villa have enough players in their squad that will put in a shift at the coal face in order to allow a player like Joao Felix to express himself.
Perhaps all he needs is a long run in a team to be able to show off his talents to their fullest, and Emery has shown that he’s able to get the very best out of his players.
It could be a football marriage made in heaven.
