da bwin： It has been a long, dark, difficult road to the Championship for Aston Villa. Despite performing sufficiently well enough to remain in the Premier League for the last few years, they finally capitulated, and relegation was confirmed in April.
da stake casino： Luckily for the Villa faithful, a new era is dawning and with a new owner, Xia Jiantong, at the helm and a new manager, Roberto Di Matteo, in place.
Having already made three signings in preparation for an immediate assault on the Championship, Di Matteo is keen to rejuvenate a squad that looked about as poor as the Premier League had ever seen last season.
The Italian has bought well so far, going for reliable players with experience of the Championship rather than big name budget-breakers that will only play for the money rather than the shirt. He must continue this strategy in the market.
Here are FIVE unknown players that Aston Villa should target ahead of one of the most important seasons in the club’s long history…
Bradley Dack
It was a sensational season for Bradley Dack at Gillingham last year. The midfielder notched 15 goals, contributed 11 assists and was voted the best player in League One for the 2015/16 season.
At just 22, Dack is one of the most sought after young players outside of the Premier League. Aston Villa would be a perfect move for the playmaker, as the club look to build for the future whilst also adding home grown quality to their squad.
Jonny Hayes
At 29, it has taken a considerable amount of time for Jonny Hayes to fulfil his potential. However, the Irish international was a revelation at Aberdeen last year and was a runner-up in the SPFL Player of the Year awards.
Hayes is a traditional out-and-out winger with bags of pace and decent skill to boot. Dons boss Derek McInnes has reiterated that he does not wish to lose his star player this summer, however, if Villa offer anything over £3 million, the former Leicester man would likely be head south.
Birkir Bjarnason
Now a veteran of the Icelandic national team, Birkir Bjarnason was one of the key factors in the country’s incredible EURO 2016 showing.
The brutish midfielder plays his club football in Switzerland with FC Basel, where he also impressed last season, helping the side to yet another league title.
A strong, determined midfielder who works for the shirt and isn’t afraid to put in a challenge, Bjarnason would be the perfect addition to a Villa team that looked uninterested for large parts of last season.
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Yeni Ngbakoto
While it would take some time for the Villa faithful to learn to pronounce the Frenchman’s name, it wouldn’t take Yeni Ngbakoto long to establish himself in the Championship.
The 24 year old, who currently plies his trade at Metz in France came second in the Ligue 2 Player of the Season awards after a season where he helped his side earn promotion to the top flight.
Ngbakoto is small in stature but his immense strength and speed compensates and he would be superbly suited to the English game.
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Rodrigo Bentancur
A hugely promising Uruguayan talent, 19-year-old Rodrigo Bentancur has established himself very quickly into the Boca Juniors first-team.
Both Arsenal and Real Madrid were allegedly interested in the midfielder earlier this year but reports have died down, despite the youngster’s agent keen on getting his player a move to Europe.
Aston Villa would be the ideal place for Bentancur to nurture his growing talents and is thought to be available for as little as £6 million.
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