Aston Villa finished the 2023/24 campaign with a whimper but fans were voluble and ecstatic following a 5-0 thrashing at Selhurst Park on Sunday, finishing fourth in the Premier League and opening the door to Champions League football.
Unai Emery's transformative effect has propelled Villa Park to the height of the game, placing them alongside Europe's elite and convincing supporters that the golden age is here, welcome after several years of malaise.
Will Emery rest on his laurels? It's hardly likely. The shrewd Spaniard is ravenous for further success and appears to be aiming big ahead of the summer transfer window, eager to bring a marquee name to the Midlands.
Aston Villa eyeing European star
According to reports in Spain, Emery and Villa's President of Football Operations, Monchi, have met with the Barcelona board to discuss the transfer of centre-back Ronald Araujo.
The Uruguay international is valued at €80m (£68m) and widely considered one of the best defenders in Spain, but rumours have lingered over his future with the Catalan club, who are embedded in a quagmire of financial turmoil.
It is hardly coincidental that the interest in Araujo follows revelations from the Telegraph that Villa are willing to cash in on Diego Carlos despite a £50m Champions League windfall, with the defender struggling to impress following a long-term injury.
The £100k-per-week ace might be expendable but perhaps there is a desire to ship him on to free up space for the signing of Araujo, ensuring Emery's outfit complies with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules.
Why Villa are interested in Ronald Araujo
Araujo is an incredible defender, hailed as Barcelona's "new hero" by prominent reporter Guillem Balague in 2021, going from strength to strength after arriving as an unknown quantity from Boston Rivers in 2018.
He's now chalked up 150 displays in all competitions for La Blaugrana, scoring eight goals and adding five assists. During his team's title-winning league campaign one year ago, the £116k-per-week titan kept 12 clean sheets from 22 matches, which is pretty remarkable.
Eagle-eyed analyst Raj Chohan has remarked that Araujo is an "athletic monster" and a "cheat code" vis-a-vis his recovery pace and ability to snuff out danger before the flame starts to flicker.
As per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks among the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 12% for assists and the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, with his blend of technical and ball-playing qualities ranking him favourably among some of the Premier League's finest.
1.
Nathan Ake
Manchester City
2.
Lewis Dunk
Brighton & Hove Albion
3.
Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool
Moreover, as per Sofascore, the Uruguayan has kept seven clean sheets from his 25 La Liga appearances in 2023/24, completing 90% of his passes, averaging 2.5 clearances and 4.1 ball recoveries per game and succeeding in 65% of his duels.
Given his elite footballing ability, Araujo could prove to be Villa's biggest talent since Jack Grealish, who has just won his third successive Premier League title with Manchester City following his £100m transfer from Villa Park back in 2021.
Grealish was an integral part of Villa's resurgence, under Dean Smith, catalysing the squad as they broke out of the Championship and cemented an impressive Premier League finish, with former loanee Tammy Abraham praising him as "such a good leader".
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But the tricky, fleet-footed winger has long been gone now, enjoying glittering new pastures, and while Emery boasts a wealth of talent, Araujo might just be the 'monster' signing to hand Villa Park a new talisman – one who surely would serve as one of the Premier League's leading defenders and the centrepiece of a project that might not yet have scratched the surface of its potential.
