Aston Villa manager Unai Emery believes his reshaped squad is beginning to take shape despite a 4-2 pre-season defeat to Real Sociedad, with several emerging talents catching the Spaniard’s attention ahead of the new campaign.
The Europa League holders were beaten at Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on Tuesday, but the result mattered less than the opportunities handed to a number of young players as Emery continues to build a new-look squad.
One of the biggest positives was teenage striker Brian Madjo, who scored Villa’s equaliser shortly after half-time. The 6ft 4in forward impressed with his physical presence, strength and movement, regularly troubling Sociedad’s defence and showing sharp instincts inside the penalty area.
Madjo joined Villa from Metz in a £10 million move in January, but the club is still awaiting a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over his eligibility. Villa argue the England Under-17 international, who was born in London, should be exempt from FIFA’s restrictions on international transfers involving minors, despite representing Luxembourg at youth level. Because he will not turn 18 until January, he is currently unavailable for competitive fixtures unless Villa’s appeal succeeds.
With Ollie Watkins still on holiday following England’s World Cup campaign and Tammy Abraham only recently returning from a shoulder injury, Madjo has been given valuable minutes in pre-season. Villa are still searching for another striker, with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson remaining a leading target, but Emery appears to have a highly regarded prospect developing within his squad.
The Villa boss was his usual demanding self throughout the match, repeatedly instructing youngsters George Hemmings and Brian Madjo on their positioning during the first half. Later, winger Luka Lynch also required several reminders before following Emery’s tactical instructions, eventually remaining in position before receiving the ball.
Several experienced players were absent against Sociedad. While Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia featured from the start, World Cup participants Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, John McGinn, Victor Lindelof, Emiliano Martinez and club-record signing Johan Manzambi were unavailable. Left-back Lucas Digne also missed the match as his expected transfer to Paris Saint-Germain remains unfinished.
Among Villa’s new additions, only Modou Cisse and Joao Gomes were involved. Although Cisse officially arrived from LASK this summer, he spent last season back on loan with the Austrian club.
Villa have undergone significant changes during the transfer window following the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, while midfielder Amadou Onana has been ruled out until next year with a serious knee injury.
The friendly itself was an entertaining contest. George Hemmings opened the scoring before Carlos Soler equalised for Sociedad. Madjo restored parity at 2-2, but goals from Orri Oskarsson, Gorka Carrera and Inaki Ruperez secured victory for the Spanish side.
New loan signing Alejandro Garnacho was not involved after arriving from Chelsea last week but is expected to join Villa’s squad for their pre-season tour of Indonesia. Emery also continues to manage the return of players from injury, including Boubacar Kamara, while fringe players such as Leon Bailey and Evann Guessand are unlikely to leave during the tour due to the need for squad depth.
Villa continue their preparations with matches against the Indonesia All-Stars on Saturday, BG Pathum United next Tuesday and Bayern Munich in Hong Kong on 7 August. They will then face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on 12 August, when Emery expects preparations for the new season to intensify.