Aston Villa continue to progress step by step as they aim to once again become part of England’s elite squad.
Unai Emery’s rise to prominence at Villa Park has been remarkable and the trip was crowned with victory in the Europa League before the summer break. Freiburg won 3-0 in a one-sided defeat.
However, the 2026/27 season will not be able to continue on last year’s results, so Emery and his teammates are looking to revamp the squad and cement the club’s place in the top four.
There’s still a lot to sort out. The Villans may have won the race to sign exciting midfield talent Johan Manzambi, but Amadou Onana will not be kicking a ball anytime soon after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for Belgium at the World Cup.
How Aston Villa are dealing with Onana’s injury
With Aston Villa’s Onana being given his prognosis less than a week ago, Villa fans could have been forgiven for assuming the club would not be planning to sell Youri Tielemans to Manchester United in the coming days.
However, the Belgian mainstay is one of the best in the business, calculating on the ball, resourceful when splitting the defensive line and aggressive with the flow of play.
It will be difficult to replace him, especially now that Onana’s calendar year is over. Villa have hijacked Newcastle United’s £49m pursuit of Manzambi. The 20-year-old will add considerable dimension to Emery’s midfield next season, while bringing a different flavor to the likes of Tielemans and Onana.
“He can really play in any position,” said Switzerland coach Murat Yakin, and his versatility, along with his sheer strength, diverse technical skills and keen eye for goal, make him one of his greatest allies.
League form (2025/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | drunk | sin |
Match (start) | 25(21) | 27(26) |
Goal + Assist | 2+0 | 5+4 |
touch* | 46.0 | 55.1 |
Exact path* | 29.7 (87%) | 29.4 (84%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 0 | 6 |
Key pass* | 0.3 | 0.7 |
Loss of ownership* | 5.8 | 11.8 |
It was successful. dribble* | 0.3 | 1.2 |
Ball recovery rate* | 2.9 | 4.1 |
Tackle + Interception* | 2.9 | 2.3 |
clearance* | 2.4 | 1.4 |
Win a duel* | 4.9 | 6.6 |
Manzambi can play the role of a combative number six, but that is not his forte. Furthermore, he is not a deep-rooted playmaker like Bergvall and with that in mind, Aston Villa clearly need a different midfield profile by the end of the summer.
Aston Villa are in contract talks with a bigger talent than Manzambi
Manzambi’s World Cup activities drew much praise. He had three goals and two assists in four World Cup games for Switzerland, starting only two games.
However, Villa could benefit from a player who instills control and balance, although Manzambi has been utilized as a kind of turbo-charged secret weapon and his form with Freiburg in the Bundesliga speaks to a more versatile and dynamic midfielder.
Now, according to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa could be encouraged to initiate a permanent transfer for Tottenham’s Lukas Bergvall this summer, with the 20-year-old Swedish midfielder keen to complete a move to Villa Park.
Aston Villa have yet to make a formal approach, but the estimated £45m Bergvall has indeed submitted a transfer request to N17 this summer, and with Chelsea also interested, NSWE would be wise to move forward quickly.
Aston Villa Target: Fact File | |
|---|---|
status | mountain wall |
club | tottenham |
year | 20 |
desired position | central midfield |
favorite feet | right |
Performance history | 151 |
career goals | 12 |
career assist | 17 |
Main title | 1x |
Former Manchester City player Josep Guardiola has previously singled out Bergvall for his “unstoppable” dribbling skills when on the ball. In that regard, he shares traits with Manzambi while simultaneously bringing a more flavorful passing game.
His fluid skills are a nice bonus and the Midlands side could use that to bring in a sort of hybrid midfield talent, incorporating elements of the game of different players such as Tielemans and Manzambi.
His more dynamic play could even surpass Manzambi in terms of long-term impact, with The Athletic’s JJ Bull saying he has a “Luka Modric-like first touch”, and given Tottenham’s takeover of Barcelona’s signing of the 14-cap Sweden international who starred under Graham Potter at the World Cup, it’s clear this is a young midfielder with world-class potential.
Those in favor of Spurs’ persuasion may be unhappy at being used as a stepping stone for one of Spurs’ most exciting young midfielders, but it is a credit to Aston Villa’s development that they are now ostensibly ahead of Spurs in the Premier League pecking order.
Bergvall is a potential superstar and given his skill set matches that of the departing Tielemans, he could end up being the summer star of Emery’s hot squad.
