All of Aston Villa’s summer transfers have performed well this season, which proves that their recruitment strategy has been spot on.
Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby were the two big summer purchases, with both becoming important players.
However, there is one individual that Unai Emery didn’t have in his plans, which is a decision that could come back to bite the Spaniard.
Moussa Diaby’s start to life at Villa
Diaby became Villa’s club record signing in the summer as he swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League in a deal worth £51.9m.
The 24-year-old has been handed lots of opportunities by the former Arsenal boss, playing 34 games across all competitions, with a goal contribution record of 12.
Emery has been able to trust the attacker in multiple positions, whether it is on either flank or as a second striker behind Ollie Watkins, which is where he has mainly been deployed.
However, Diaby is often subbed off in the Premier League, as his average minutes per game is 62. Over his 24 league games, he’s scored four times and provided six assists.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star has been relatively impressive, but in truth, he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations of his record-breaking fee just yet.
Jaden Philogene-Bidace since leaving Villa
Jaden Philogene-Bidace only made six appearances for Villa’s first team, registering two assists in the process. One of those came in the opening match against Newcastle United, when he was subbed on for Matty Cash minutes from time.
Nonetheless, the 22-year-old moved away from the club permanently in September, when he joined Hull City for just £5m, after numerous spells in the Championship at Cardiff City and Stoke City.
Since moving to the Tigers, the dazzling winger – who can operate on both flanks – has been extremely impressive, with his performances often being game-changing for his side.
The table below showcases his stats from this season, and how he compares to his positional peers.
Goals
0.46
Top 12%
Assists
0.33
Top 9%
Successful dribbles
2.90
Top 5%
Shots total
4.02
Top 1%
Carries into final third
3.03
Top 4%
Touches (Att pen)
6.45
Top 8%
Tackles
2.30
Top 11%
As you can see, Philogene-Bidace is a "fantastic" player, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and he's been absolutely immense in the Championship this season, scoring seven goals and picking up five assists, which puts him among the elite category of wingers who can provide both creativity and goal-scoring threat – while also eclipsing Diaby's top-flight return.
The latest goal involvement came last night with the youngster pulling off an audacious rabona. On first viewing it looks as though it sails straight in but it takes a slight deflection and soars into the net, cruelly going down as an own goal.
Even still, that "unreal" piece of quality has showcased the full array of the playmaker's talents – as hailed by reporter Alex Howell – with it easy to see why the Hammersmith native had even "surprised" Emery during pre-season, in the words of Howell.
The England U21 international is extremely confident, as displayed by his high shot total and direct approach via his dribbling. The latter is where most of his creative magic stems from, as he can drive past opponents with a direct approach to reach the penalty box.
Philogene-Bidace would have suited Emery’s intense approach perfectly from an out-of-possession perspective, as he ranks in the top 11% for tackles, which shows he works extremely hard off the ball to regain control for his side.
Overall, selling the in-form whiz for just £5m without giving him a real opportunity to shine could just be one of the biggest mistakes the club has made in years, representing arguably the most notable blunder of a relatively serene stint in charge so far for Emery.
