Emery could land Bailey upgrade in Aston Villa move for "unique" 6 ft 2 maestro

Emery could land Bailey upgrade in Aston Villa move for “unique” 6 ft 2 maestro

Aston Villa have enjoyed a terrific start to the 2023/24 campaign and currently find themselves within the top four in the Premier League table.

They beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1, thanks to goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins, to move above Ange Postecoglou’s side and into fourth on Sunday.

Unai Emery has overseen an incredible job so far at Villa Park but there could be more to come from the Villans and the upcoming January transfer window is another opportunity for him and Monchi to improve the squad.

Villa are one of a number of teams reportedly interested in signing Brondby IF star Nicolai Vallys and the 27-year-old ace could come in as an upgrade on Leon Bailey if Emery is able to secure his signature.

He can play out wide on either flank or through the middle as an attacking midfielder and this suggests that he would suit either playing alongside Ollie Watkins or in one of the two attacking midfield roles behind the front two.

Leon Bailey’s Aston Villa statistics

The Jamaica international has racked up 12 goals and 12 assists in 72 appearances for the club in all competitions since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2021.

This includes a return of eight goals and nine assists in 62 Premier League outings for Villa, which shows that the winger is an inconsistent performer at the top end of the pitch.

Since the start of last season, Bailey has produced seven goals, seven assists, and 11 ‘big chances’ created in 44 top-flight appearances.

This means that the left-footed whiz has averaged a direct goal involvement once every 3.14 matches in the Premier League during over the last 18 months or so.

Related

Aston Villa: Dean Jones drops claim on Leon Bailey’s future

The transfer insider isn’t “completely convinced” by the winger.

Vallys, on the other hand, has been in sublime form for Brondby and he could arrive as a dream upgrade on Bailey if the 6 foot 2 magician is able to translate his performances over to English football.

The statistics that show why Vallys could be an upgrade on Bailey

This season, the 27-year-old talent has showcased his ability to score and create goals as a versatile attacker who can play centrally or out wide.

The Denmark international has contributed with nine goals, two assists, and four ‘big chances’ created in 16 Superliga appearances for his club.

Vallys vs current Villa attacking midfielders (via Sofascore)

Statistic

Vallys

Bailey

Moussa Diaby

Nicolo Zaniolo

Appearances

16

11

13

Nine

Goals

Nine

Three

Three

Zero

Big chances created

Four

Three

Seven

Zero

Sofascore rating

7.38

6.95

7.12

6.56

The table above suggests that the Villa target, who was lauded as “unique” by his manager Jesper Sorensen, has been in sublime form as a scorer and a creator in comparison to Emery’s current options in his various positions.

His impressive form for Brondby this term has come off the back of a return of eight goals, nine assists, and ten ‘big chances’ created in 30 outings last term.

This means that Vallys has scored 17 goals and assisted 11 in his last 46 matches for the Danish outfit since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which is an average of one contribution per 1.64 games.

These statistics suggest that the Danish wizard has the potential to come in – if he can step up to Premier League standards – and provide more quality on a regular basis than Bailey, due to his superior ability to chip in with goals, assists, and ‘big chances’ created for his side.