Aston Villa hit gold on £0 signing who’s now similar to a £105m maestro

Unai Emery may be going through the most difficult run of form during his Aston Villa tenure, but there is no doubt he can get the club back firing again.

He has shown time and time again why he is the ideal man to lead the Villa Park side into a new era, especially with his diligence in the transfer market.

The vast majority of his signings have been overwhelming hits and long may this continue in the future.

Aston Villa’s best signings under Unai Emery

One of Emery’s first signings was Jhon Duran and while it has taken him a while to settle in, this season has seen the striker score eight times in 17 games.

Pau Torres has added some stability to the heart of the defence having signed last summer, while Amadou Onana has replaced Douglas Luiz with ease following his £50m move from Everton just a few months ago.

In terms of value for money, perhaps Youri Tielemans – even despite his penalty miss against Crystal Palace last time out – has been his greatest signing, especially as his value has risen in recent months.

Youri Tieleman’s market value

The midfielder joined the club on a free transfer and according to the CIES Football Observatory, the Belgian star is now valued at €37.1m (£31m), which shows just how much profit Villa could make on him should they decide to sell.

Hailed as “incredible” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2019, Tielemans has shone alongside Onana for Villa this season.

Indeed, he has even been compared to a Premier League star in the form of Declan Rice, who became the most expensive British player of all time when he moved to Arsenal for £105m in 2023.

The Englishman is certainly one of the finest players in the top flight and Tielemans exudes plenty of his qualities during his own performances.

Rice is even the ninth-most comparable player to Tielemans, according to FBref, with the pair showcasing similar attributes.

Indeed, the pair have registered similar statistics across a range of metrics this season, as per FBref, including pass success percentage (82% vs 80.7%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.07 vs 3.35), successful take-on percentage per 90 (50% vs 54.5%) and interceptions (12 vs 9).

These statistics prove that the duo are rather similar across several areas and this could see Tielemans further improve over the coming months, with the hope of reaching the levels that saw Rice make his £105m switch.

Emery surely won’t be in a rush to cash in on the player, but if an opportunity which is too good to turn down arrives, then there is no doubt Villa will secure a wonderful profit.

Being compared to Rice shows how good Tielemans has become since moving to the Midlands and the Spaniard will be hoping these performances can continue as he chases another top-four finish in the Premier League this season.