Aston Villa are pulling no punches in the transfer market this summer, with Unai Emery working day and night to gear his squad up for Champions League nights.
Five years on from their return to Premier League football, the Villa have enjoyed incremental growth and a season in the Conference League, but finishing in the top four last year has cemented their status as one of the country's elite, and opened the door to a whole new realm of opportunity.
Sure, Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus in order to placate PSR, while record signing Moussa Diaby is in the process of a £51m transfer to the Gulf, joining Al-Ittihad, but the fact that such exits do not strike as a detriment to Emery's cause bears testament to the machine he has crafted in the Midlands.
Amadou Onana (£50m)
Douglas Luiz (£42.5m)
Ian Maatsen (£37.5m)
Omari Kellyman (£19m)
Samuel Iling-Junior (£14.5m)
Tim Iroegbunam (£9m)
Jaden Philogene (£13m)
Morgan Sanson (£3.5m)
Lewis Dobbin (£10m)
Vijami Sisalo (£1m)
Enzo Barrenechea (£8m)
Calum Chambers (free)
Cameron Archer (n/a)
A host of signings have been made so far, the latest of which being the exciting £50m capture of Amadou Onana from Everton, but the central defence is as yet untouched. With the £100k-per-week Diego Carlos mooted for a departure and Tyrone Mings approaching the year mark of his ACL rupture, Villa might be wise to strengthen at the rear.
Aston Villa transfer news
As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are preparing to tussle with Liverpool for the signing of Juventus' Dean Huijsen, a 19-year-old centre-back who excelled out on loan with Roma last term.
His first real taste of senior action, the Netherlands native is highly regarded in Italy but Juve are keen to settle their financial concerns and could part ways if their €30m (£25m) asking price is met.
Villa's Champions League status gives them a fresh position of power in the market these days, but Liverpool are one of England's elite. However, having completed some dealings with the Old Lady this summer, Monchi will hope that such business hands his outfit the advantage here.
Dean Huijsen's 23/24 season in numbers
One year ago, Huijsen was gearing up for his first taste of senior action in Turin, having been snapped up by Juventus as a teenager, leaving Malaga and moving to Italy despite interest from Real Madrid's prestigious academy.
Huijsen was born in Amsterdam but has been raised in Andalusia since his fifth birthday and recently switched his international allegiance to Spain this year, having now earned his maiden caps with the U21s.
After making his professional debut off the bench as the Old Lady secured victory over AC Milan in Serie A last October, Huijsen transferred to Roma for a six-month loan spell, tasked with playing a role in Daniele de Rossi's first team.
It's safe to say that he passed with flying colours, showcasing his quality as a modern-day, complete centre-back after posting two goals and an assist across his 14 outings.
Praised for his "ridiculous" quality by analyst Ben Mattinson, the rangy defender stands at 6 foot 5 and looks to have the acumen and physique to make a marked impression under Emery's wing, with Villa likely able to offer him the platform to hone his talents and bloom into a leading top-flight player in the years to come.
He's young, yes, comparatively untested, also yes, but just take a look at his extraordinary strike against Frosinone, having entered the fray at half-time with just two senior starts under his belt.
Moreover, he proved to have the buds of a sharp ball-playing game, completing 88% of his passes in the Italian top flight, ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
Now, Villa must accelerate their interest – especially with Liverpool keen on a deal. While he's yet to kick a ball at Villa Park, Samuel Iling-Junior has already made the move to Emery's brood and Huijsen must follow suit.
Huijsen can be Samuel Iling-Junior 2.0
Iling-Junior, an Englishman, broke into Juventus' first team last season after signing for the club as a 16-year-old in 2020, leaving Chelsea's youth academy to venture to Italy.
His transfer to Aston Villa – along with midfielder Enzo Barrenechea, 23 – was orchestrated as part of Juventus' deal to sign Douglas Luiz, whose sacrifice was necessary as Monchi fought to overcome pressing PSR concerns.
Iling-Junior might not have played competitively for Emery's side yet but he's got bundles of potential down the left flank, playing 27 times last year, scoring one goal and providing two assists, though he only registered six starts across all competitions.
Like Huijsen, his talent is patent despite his limited match action, and Villa might just have something of a treasure on their hands, with the 20-year-old even described as an "assist machine" by journalist Michele Neri and praised for his "high energy and work volume as well as dreamy ball skills" by journalist Antonio Mango.
Most importantly, he regularly showcases skills that point toward success in the Premier League, with a rounded and athletically robust skillset: as per FBref, he ranks among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 19% for tackles per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Clearly, Iling-Junior is a top talent who could explode under Emery's management next season, and Huijsen must now follow him and Barrenechea toward England's Midlands to kickstart his career at a club that just continues to rise.
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