Ever since the arrival of Unai Emery, Aston Villa have been a side transformed, earning a place in the Europa Conference League as a result of their progress in the Premier League last season.
The Villans continued their progress off the pitch throughout the summer, too, welcoming the likes of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Emery’s side have shown glimpses of bursting into life, with convincing wins over both Everton and Burnley sandwiched between disappointing displays against both Newcastle United and Liverpool.
Despite the defeats, it has been a period of statements of ambition from the Midlands club, who even considered breaking their transfer record for one particular star in the summer transfer window.
Who did Aston Villa sign in the summer transfer window?
In total, Emery and co welcomed five reinforcements in the summer transfer window, spending a reported €93m (£80m) in the process. So far, the pick of the bunch has been Diaby.
The former Bayer Leverkusen winger has already been involved in three goals in five games, scoring twice and assisting once in an impressive start to life at Villa Park. Diaby’s arrival put an end to Villa’s search for a winger, but before that, they considered breaking their transfer record.
According to Romeo Agresti of Goal, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa were considering bidding around €70m (£60m) for Chiesa this summer, which would have smashed their current transfer record of £52m, which saw Diaby complete his move to the Midlands club earlier this summer.
With the transfer window now shut, however, Chiesa is still a Juventus player, and Villa have not lacked goals from their flanks, perhaps making the outcome suitable for all parties involved, especially the Serie A giants.
Whilst the reported “threat” was there from Villa, worrying Juve amid their own troubles off the field, Monchi and Co did not push on to sign the winger.
Should Aston Villa have signed Chiesa?
There’s worse options around Europe than a Chiesa, who is finally back to full fitness and ready to get firing again at Juventus. The Italian has got off to the perfect start in Serie A this season, too, scoring twice in three games, proving that he is more than ready to star for his side once again.
The winger has earned plenty of praise during his time in Italy, too, including from Rio Ferdinand, who previously said, via The Metro: “He’s a huge player and he’s been linked with a few clubs in England. I’m sure they’re thinking ‘why didn’t we get him?’.
“He’s just a fantastic footballer. The intensity with which he plays with, we saw in the Euros he was the main goal threat for the Italians who went on to win the tournament.
“It’s his pace, his drive. He’s the one who is the threat, he’s potent, he wants to run in behind. He’s that modern day striker who can play anywhere across the front line and he’s as comfortable out wide as he is through the middle. He unnerves defenders with that pace, he’s so direct.”
Now, Villa will simply be hoping that they don’t regret not going all out for Chiesa this summer, given his clear talent.