da dobrowin： Aston Villa have seen a huge wave of progression crash over Villa Park since the arrival of Unai Emery in October 2022, with the Spaniard being the catalyst for change in the Midlands.
da pixbet： The former Arsenal boss inherited his squad from Steven Gerrard following the Englishman’s dismissal, as the Villans sat in 16th place with little direction to progress, fate that changed almost overnight when Emery arrived.
The four-time Europa League winner ended his first campaign in seventh, handing his new club a place in the Europa Conference League and miraculously improving their form, with only Arsenal and Manchester City winning more points in 2023 so far.
Premier League points won in 2023
Rank
Club
Points
1
Manchester City
71
2
Arsenal
61
3
Aston Villa
59
4
Liverpool
56
5
Manchester United
55
Via Transfermarkt
After orchestrating a successful summer of business boosted Emery’s plans for further success, as he welcomed five new faces to Villa Park, it is suggested that the Spaniard could already be weighing up his options for additional change ahead.
As the January transfer window fast approaches, clubs will be alert to the situations of potential targets, and for Villa, one name could finally make his way to the Midlands after months of speculation regarding a possible move.
Could Aston Villa sign Dani Ceballos?
Real Madrid midfielder and former player of Emery at Arsenal, Dani Ceballos, has once again been linked with a potential move to Villa.
Following the 2022 January transfer window, Spanish publication Marca claimed that the 27-year-old had been approached and had rejected a move to Villa Park in the bid to push for a place in the squad with Los Blancos.
There was further speculation in the summer regarding Villa’s hopes to capture the Spaniard’s signature, with SPORT reporting that the Midlands club were preparing to make an offer in the region of €15m (£13m) for the playmaker.
Nothing came from the rumours, as Ceballos penned a new deal with the Galacticos in June, however news in Spain has once again reported the narrative of a potential return to England for the out of favour midfielder.
DefensaCentral reported after the close of the transfer window that the Spaniard remains the ‘goal and desire’ for Villa, with the valuation for the 27-year-old having the possibility to reach €18m (£15.5m).
The report also adds that Emery’s side could even double the midfielder’s wages in order to convince him to join the club, with interest spanning almost a year between club and player, making his movements something to keep an eye on in January.
How much is Dani Ceballos worth?
While his quality is unquestionable, Ceballos has found it difficult to secure regular game time at Madrid among the abundance of generational talent Los Blancos have in midfield.
The summer capture of Jude Bellingham only made matters harder for the Utrera-born gem, who in his six-year association with Real Madrid, has secured only 38 La Liga starts.
As a result, the 27-year-old has seen his expected transfer value (xTV) fluctuate throughout the course of the footballing calendar. As relayed by Football Transfers, the former Arsenal midfielder has seen his xTV dip as low as €5m (£4.3m) this year due to lack of game time and injury.
Currently, as per CIES Football Observatory, the Spaniard is valued at €30m (£26m), making a potential move in the region of £15m, a coup for Villa.
While his value is more than affordable, Ceballos’ wage would make him the highest-earner currently in Emery’s squad, with him picking up a healthy £173k-per-week from Los Blancos.
How good is Dani Ceballos?
When you’re competing for a starting place against the likes of Bellingham, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, form can be irrelevant as world-class quality prevails.
Ceballos was forced to endeavour on consecutive loan spells in order to grasp consistent minutes, with his two seasons at Arsenal giving him room to flourish and gain experience in playing in England.
In north London, Emery was the figure that lured the Spaniard to the Premier League, where he made 77 appearances for the Gunners over the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.
Leaving England as an FA Cup winner and an appreciated player at the Emirates, Ceballos could arrive at Villa well-equipped for the challenges that come with playing in the Premier League.
Away from England, the Real Betis academy graduate has taken advantage of his minutes on the field over the past year, cementing himself as one of the top talents in Europe’s top five leagues based on his averages per 90.
As per FBref, the Real Madrid outsider averaged 87.51 passes, 11.25 progressive passes and 2.44 successful take-ons per 90 over the last 365 days, decimals that place him within the top 1% of midfielders in Europe to reinforce his quality.
Being a good player is one thing, but having the ability to fit into a new squad is another, however there are signs that Ceballos could fit perfectly into Emery’s vision at Villa Park.
Where could Dani Ceballos fit in at Villa?
In the summer, Emery completed the signing of free-agent Youri Tielemans, who left Leicester City at the expiration of his contract, freeing him of the prospect of playing in the Championship with the Foxes.
While everything was poised for the Belgian to thrive at Villa, things haven’t worked as expected for the midfielder, with Football Insider suggesting that the 26-year-old already wants out of the club due to a disagreement with Emery.
It’s no secret that Tielemans is unhappy at Villa, as the former Leicester star spoke publicly about his lack of game time at the club while on international duty, telling the media that the situation is “not pleasant”.
If rumours are to be believed, Emery could ease the potential premature exit of the Belgian by signing Ceballos, who could be the perfect figure to replace the disgruntled midfielder.
Dani Ceballos' Premier League averages per game
2019/20
2020/21
Pass completion %
88%
87%
Key passes
1.2
1.1
Successful dribbles %
75%
68%
Interceptions
1.3
1.4
Tackles
1.9
1.5
Figures via Sofascore
Once lauded as having an “incredible amount of quality” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the former Arsenal loanee performed well over his two campaigns in England, as highlighted in the table above.
The midfielder, who is best equipped as a deep-lying playmaker, portrayed that he has the ability to juggle both defensive and offensive tasks in the engine room in an environment as high-pressured as the English top flight.
When comparing the averages of Ceballos in the Premier League with those of Tielemans from the 2022/23 campaign, numbers suggest that the Spaniard could be almost a straight-swap for the 26-year-old, and in some elements, a better match.
As per Sofascore, at Leicester last season, Tielemans averaged 0.9 interceptions and 1.0 key passes per game in the league, recording a passing accuracy rate of 82%, with all decimals shy of those recorded by the Real Madrid gem while at Arsenal.
Whether or not Villa opt to let go of their summer acquisition so promptly remains speculation, however regardless of his stance in January, signing Ceballos could be a smart move for Emery to add to his depth.
For a slim price, the Spaniard could rekindle his relationship with his former player, in a move that could benefit the Villans given the rumours regarding Tielemans’ future.