Aston Villa starts 2024 fighting on three fronts by making it to the FA Cup’s fourth round, and the upcoming few months could be among their best ever.
Unai Emery won’t get carried away, of course, but with the team now sitting second in the Premier League standings and having advanced to the Europa Conference League final rounds, there has never been a better opportunity for them to break their 28-year trophy drought.
The January transfer window is open, and the Spaniard will be looking to add a few new players to his roster to give his team some youth before what may turn out to be a busy schedule for the team.
Naturally, throughout the past week or so, a few names have been connected to a move to Villa Park; however, if current claims are to be believed, the team appears to be pursuing a League One defender.
News about Ronnie Edwards’ transfer to Aston Villa
The Mail on Sunday, print edition (7 January, page 100), reports that Villa is the newest team to express interest in defender Ronnie Edwards.
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As the clubs prepare to wrest the center-back away from Peterborough United, they are among the Premier League teams keeping an eye on the player, along with West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
Villa will have an advantage over West Ham and Palace in the event that they decide to make a bid for Edwards, as Emery is reestablishing Villa as a team that can compete with the best. Edwards may be tempted by a move to the Midlands.
It’s not new that clubs are interested in Edwards for their top division. In fact, when Manchester United was looking to boost their roster with highly-rated English talent in 2021, they were even connected to him.
After two and a half years, it seems the player is prepared to advance in his career, having completed his apprenticeship at Peterborough.
Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Diego Carlos, and Tyrone Mings are just a few of the elite players vying for Emery’s two starting spots in the defense, each of whom can contribute a unique set of qualities to the position.
After suffering a catastrophic injury in the first game of the season against Newcastle, Mings is presently out for the entire season. The arrival of Edwards, though, may unfortunately mean that his time at Villa is coming to an end sooner rather than later.
The Aston Villa statistics of Tyrone Mings
The 30-year-old, who helped the Midlands team gain promotion back to the Premier League after a three-year absence, enjoyed a successful loan stay the season before and signed a £20 million contract with the club in the summer of 2019.
Mings has been a pillar in the center of their defense for the past four years, having missed just 12 league games out of 152 since his debut campaign, demonstrating his dependability.
The Englishman had his best season at the club under Emery in 2022–2023. He finished the campaign ranked first for accurate passes per game (46) and first for interceptions (1.5) and clearances (4.5) per match. His excellent passing and defensive skills helped Villa finish in sixth place.
Without a doubt, players like Carlos, Konsa, and Torres were vying to be Mings’ partner for this season. That is, until Newcastle was dealt a fatal blow.
His studs stuck in the turf, causing him to be stretchered off. He then wrenched his knee, which resulted in a lengthy absence.
Even though Emery has plenty of options to replace him, does this injury suggest that Mings’ time with the team may be coming to an end? In fact, his present contract only lasts for two years.
Acquiring Edwards could expedite this plan, as the youthful defender appears to be a perfect substitute for the seasoned defender.
Ronnie Edward’s professional data
Edwards joined the Posh during the 2020–21 season and has already made 117 appearances, although not turning 21 until March.
When Ronnie made his senior debut, Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry, had already showered the young defender with praise, saying, “Ronnie is a Rolls Royce.” When we signed him, we knew that.
“How highly regarded Ronnie is by rival clubs and the England setup is no secret. At our stadium, we had eighteen Premier League scouts watching him play for the under-23 team.
“The club has Ronnie like money in the bank. He will undoubtedly have a fantastic career in the game, but Darren Ferguson is the best manager and the best place for him to grow swiftly.
If he joins the Premier League, it looks like the team will have some cash on hand, and his recent performance would definitely support a high transfer cost.
With three games played, the team is now in third place in League One thanks to Edwards’ outstanding play thus far this season. With a 92% pass completion percentage, the 20-year-old leads the team in accurate pass average (79 passes per game).
The youthful player, who is undoubtedly one of the best players in the team, also ranks first for accurate long balls per game (7.6), first for clearances per game (4.4), and fourth for interceptions per game (one).
Edwards has played in the Championship before, having made 34 appearances in the second tier in the 2021–2022 season. This has undoubtedly helped him become a better player.
The former Barnet sensation is obviously too talented to be playing in the third division of English football, so now is the time to go up. Villa will keep an eye on him over the coming weeks.
Although the exact price that Fry would demand for his valuable asset is yet unknown, Emery might need to pay a respectable sum to beat out rivals and get his signature.
Hopefully, Mings will recover from his knee injury in the coming months. However, Edwards, a 5’11” player who has the potential to become one of the best defenders in the nation in the coming years, may prevent Mings from playing for the first team.
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