Aston Villa are already turning their attention to the summer transfer window, as the 2022/23 Premier League season comes towards a close.
Villa have enjoyed an impressive run of form since Unai Emery took the reins from Steven Gerrard in October.
When the Spaniard arrived in the Midlands, the club were threatened by relegation, however, things have turned around with European football now a possibility with three games remaining.
The summer transfer window is fast approaching and will be the four-time Europa League-winning coach’s first as Villa boss.
As expected, there has been plenty of speculation regarding the club’s ins and outs ahead of the window opening.
With recruitment important this summer, as Emery looks to take Villa to the next step as a club competing in the Premier League, club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor, has had his say on who the Spaniard should make a move for.
What’s the latest on Harvey Barnes to Aston Villa?
According to reports from the Daily Mail earlier this month, Villa are said to be one of the clubs monitoring the availability of Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes.
The 25-year-old is contracted to City until 2025, however, with relegation being a huge possibility, talks surrounding an extension are not underway.
Leicester valued their man around at least £50m when Newcastle United knocked on the door over his availability.
What could Barnes bring to Aston Villa?
Lauded by Agbonlahor as being a "superstar", the former forward who made 322 appearances for Villa, encouraged Emery to sign the winger.
He told Football Insider that Barnes is a “little bit of good coaching away” from being one of the best, and believes he would fit into the Spaniard’s system perfectly.
When you acknowledge the progression that the likes of Jacob Ramsey has seen under the guidance of Emery, it’s clear to see why Agbonlahor is insistent that the former Arsenal boss could get the Englishman performing to his full potential.
Despite it being a tough season for Leicester, Barnes has scored 12 goals in the Premier League, ranking as the 11th-highest scorer in the league. He is also among the top 8% for non-penalty goals per game in Europe's top 5 leagues, with 0.45 – as per FBref.
The forward could be an upgrade for Villa, particularly when comparing his numbers with Leon Bailey.
The Englishman just comes out on top in terms of number of shots per game with 2.40 compared to the Jamaican’s 2.38.
He also tops the Midlands winger for receiving progressive passes, registering 9.04 per game, higher than Bailey’s 8.65 – suggesting he gets into better areas in behind the defence.
That shows that he would be a good fit for Emery’s system of play, which typically enjoys seeing a free run of midfielders getting in behind.
Importantly, the Foxes flanker would also drag his team further up the pitch, with the 25-year-old registering 2.59 carries into the final third per 90, compared to the 1.52 of Bailey.
If Leicester end the season Championship bound, the Foxes are naturally expected to lose some talent that wish to remain in the top division, could Barnes be one of them? Emery will certainly hope so.
