Aston Villa open talks to sign “midfield maestro”

There is still a long way to go, but this season is shaping up to be a special one for Aston Villa.

Unai Emery has got his side playing some scintillating football, but more importantly, they’re not too far behind Arsenal in the Premier League.

Moreover, they’re through to the next round of the FA Cup and are sitting in third place in the Europa League.

If that wasn’t enough reason for the fans to celebrate, it also looks like Aston Villa are intent on improving the squad this month, with reports currently linking them to someone who’d be an upgrade on Conor Gallagher.

Aston Villa target Gallagher upgrade

With Villa flying as high as they are at the moment, it’s hardly a surprise to see the club so eager to strengthen this month.

For example, there are, of course, the links to former loanee Tammy Abraham, and before he moved to Tottenham Hotspur, former Chelsea star Gallagher was considered a top target for the club.

Now, losing out on a player of that quality is never ideal, but the good news for fans is that the club appear to have found another midfield target, someone who could be even better than the Englishman.

At least that is according to a recent report from Belgium, who claims Villa are interested in Raphael Onyedika.

In fact, the Swiss reporter has revealed that the Villans have already contacted Club Brugge regarding the Nigerian’s situation, in part due to Boubacar Kamara’s injury.

However, should the West Midlands outfit wish to sign the 24-year-old, they will have to act fast, as the report claims his most likely destination, as things stand, is Galatasaray.

It could therefore be a complicated transfer to get done, but given Onyedika’s ability and the state of the squad, it’s one Villa should fight for, especially as he’d be an upgrade on Gallagher.

How Onyedika compares to Gallagher

Now, while both players are fairly versatile and can play in a number of positions depending on the team’s need, Onyedika tends to favour the more defensive roles.

For example, he has made 195 appearances in the six, whereas Gallagher has made just 60, and in terms of what Villa need at the moment, that is a big tick in the Nigerian’s favour.

Now, with that said, looking at their output isn’t going to be the best way to determine which player is better.

So instead, it’s important to take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers.

Interestingly, while it’s not a complete landslide, it is the Brugge star who comes out on top in this comparison.

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According to FBref, he comes out ahead in most important metrics, including progressive passes, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the penalty area, goal aand shot-creating actions, clearances, ball recoveries, and more, all per 90.

In other words, the “midfield maestro,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is the sort of player who can help break up opposition attacks before kick-starting one for his own team.

Furthermore, it looks like he has the mentality and temperament to play for a top side in a top league, with respected analyst-turned-scout Ben Mattinson stating he has “composure on the ball” and “positional discipline.”

Ultimately, he might not be as well-known a player in England, but if Villa want to strengthen their midfield this month and bring in someone who looks to be even better than Gallagher, they should sign Onyedika.

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