Weighing up Villa’s winter window business

Well, the final day might well end up as a bit of an anti-climax, but it’s difficult to argue that we’ve done very good deals and the vast majority of fans are very happy.

I’m inclined to say the board have done a superb job in backing Steven Gerrard, but the reality is we haven’t spent that much money considering the calibre of players we have got in.

Obviously the biggest signing was Philippe Coutinho on loan. We’re no doubt paying him a fortune in wages, but he was one of the finest players in the world not very long back. If we can get him playing to the best of his ability, he’ll prove a great signing. We have the option to buy him for £33 million at the end of the season and while I’m not a big fan of loans, I quite like this deal.
He’s only got four months to prove himself either way and being realistic it could prove to be a not particularly good deal.
But it just demonstrates the manager’s pulling power and the whole thing massively raised our profile for a short while, which can’t be bad.

Next was Lucas Digne and I think this one shocked everybody and mainly the Everton fans. This was a weird one to my mind, as by many accounts he was actually their best player. Everton fans were fumming over this deal and it would seem we probably got him quite cheap.
The perplexing thing about this one is Rafa Benitez was sacked a week after the club sold him.
I have to be honest and say this concerned me.
Why would you sell your best player at what seemed a very reasonable price of £27 million, yet sack the manager just a week after? The hierarchy must have had an inkling his dismissal was a distinct possibility and the only reason I can think is that Digne had burnt bridges with someone who mattered and I’m talking higher than the manager.
The fact that the player and the manager both had shockingly terse goodbye notes from the club seems to suggest my theory might be correct.
The fact is Digne seems to have moved on and has made an encouraging start. He isn’t going to be dropped for us, so he’ll have no need to throw any strop for a good while at least.
He’s a definite upgrade over Targett in his attack play although we haven’t seen enough of his defensive side as yet.
The Everton fans thought that was the weaker side to his game, but I don’t think that will concern Stevie G too much.
Put simply, we have a very highly rated Left back at a not extortionate fee and this deal was excellent business, I think.

Next in was Robin Olsen and I’m not sure what there is to be said here, as I don’t know much about him at all. Obviously someone must have been tracking him, but to be honest I’m not sure I thought there was much wrong with Jed Steer as our back up goalkeeper. Someone sees him as an improvement, so that has to be good enough for me. Was Jed complaining that he wasn’t getting any game time? Probably.
Olsen is only here on loan, so any cost will be fairly minimal and there’s nothing for us fans to complain about here.

And then finally, we got Calum Chambers from Arsenal on another loan. I’m not so sure about this deal. He’s hardly played over a few years, so who knows what he’s like? In fact, Wiki says he’s played 55 games since the 2016-17 season. If he can still motivate himself he’s doing well, to say the least. Mikel Arteta didn’t want to take up a year’s option for him, even though it could have made the player worth a fee. You have to wonder why he didn’t, but we’ve got backup at Centre back and he can cover right back too and again he hasn’t cost much.

We were apparently interested in Bentancur, but the club denied making an offer because of a big chunk of his fee going to his previous club. I think the hierarchy were right not to be held over a barrel on this deal. I’ve read reports that he wasn’t very well rated by Juventus fans and frankly Spurs, who have announced his signing, are welcome to him.

Bissouma is a different matter. He’s a very good player and proven in the Premier league. I do feel his signing would have been a step too far at this stage though, when he has sexual assault charges hanging over him. From what I’ve read, I suspect he’s probably innocent and it’s more likely his friend who’s the guilty party (in my opinion).
I suspect the idea was that we’d take him if Brighton took a really low offer, but it wasn’t to be.
He’ll fetch big money in the summer, so we’ve probably given up on that one.

And then there’s the players who have gone out.

Keinan Davis to Nottingham Forest. A good move for him, I feel. It’s about his level and he’s already got two in 2, I believe. You never know, he might now learn something from his appearances and manage to step up a level.

Wesley to Internacional. Probably means we say goodbye to him and I wish him well.

Aaron Ramsey to Cheltenham Town is dead handy for a young lad, as it’s only a short distance, meaning he’ll probably travel back every day.

Caleb Chukwuemeka to Livingston. I’m surprised Caleb took this move, but fair play to him.

Anwar El Ghazi to Everton. Totally perplexing when Rafa’s been sacked and you have to wonder who sanctioned this one. He has no future at the Villa under Gerrard and I hope he does well and gets the permanent move.

Jaden Philogene-Bidace to Stoke City. This is a great move and was frankly much needed as he’s one of those who are just too good to not be playing footy at a decent level. He’s well past the kids level and we all know it.

Cameron Archer to Preston North End. As for Bidace, he needed this too.

Louie Barry to Swindon Town and they’ve promised to play him as a 10. Another good move for the player.

Kaine Kesler Hayden to MK Dons. Everyone likes this kid and now we’ve got Chambers we could afford to let him go for a while.

Matt Targett to Newcastle United. This is the one I don’t quite understand.
Did he throw a strop and tell Gerrard that he won’t play second fiddle? I doubt it. He doesn’t strike me as that sort.
I think it’s much more likely that the manager has told him he doesn’t see much of a future for him at the club, which is frankly brutal.
Why else would you want to go and put yourself in a relegation battle?
For someone who was being touted for England last season, this is a massive backwards move.
Then again, it’s probably the case that if he didn’t take Newcastle, he would be stuck on the bench. In which case, fair play to him for wanting to play.
You have to think he won’t be at all happy and will no doubt be looking for a permanent move in the summer, in which case the barcodes have plenty of money and they can cough up a good fee.

And Trezeguet has supposedly gone to some Turkish club, although I haven’t seen any official confirmation of the deal.
I like the player and his workrate makes him a Gerrard type of player, but the reality is he’s last generation. I wish him well too.

So overall I think we’ve done well to very well.

Yes, Bissouma or some other highly rated defensive midfielder would have been nice, but I think the club have decided they simply won’t be taken for a ride.
It’s odd that the likes of Trezeguet, Targett and El Ghazi have only gone out on loan. Maybe the thinking is that we can get better prices for them in the summer? If so, I can’t argue.

Let’s face it, if we’d only got Coutinho in, we’d probably have been pretty happy, as he’s without doubt the biggest signing since…. er probably ever.