‘So strange’ – Aston Villa fans baffled as ‘crazy money’ splashed on January signing
Roberto Olabe has questions to answer at Villa Park as Unai Emery prepares to make some interesting additions to his squad this month.
Aston Villa have joined the Premier League title race, but after losing 4-1 to Arsenal, the Villans have slipped down the table to third, joint on points with Pep Guardiola‘s Man City.
Since their 11-game winning streak came to an end, Emery’s team have beaten Nottingham Forest and drawn with Crystal Palace, highlighting some weaknesses in the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.
However, Keith Wyness has told Football Insider that Villa could be lacking funds due to PSR, but this has not stopped the club from already signing 19-year-old Brazilian, Alysson, this month.
In addition to the winger, it is now understood, as per Fabrizio Romano (8 January), that the Villans have agreed a €12million (£10.4million) fee to sign Metz’s 16-year-old Brian Madjo.
Aston Villa fans stunned over deal for Brian Madjo
PSR is often a major talking point at Villa Park, but with two big deals already done for relatively unknown players, supporters are struggling to understand the business model for the January window.
One supporter labelled it as “crazy money,” while another criticised the recent recruitment drive as “so strange,” given the deals that clubs all around are managing to seal.
A third supporter has been left “so confused” by the transfer news at Villa Park, with so many talented youngsters already hoping for a shot at first-team minutes under Emery.
- @TomRutherford17: “So this plus Madjo. What was the point in Redmond? Rory Wilson?”
- @JPAngel18: “I’m so confused at our jam window signings. Yes, we have to consider PSR and SCR, but £12m on Alysson & £12m on Madjo seems strange. Similar to Ozcan, Nedeljokovic & Cisse, what’s the point in spending money on these players if they’re never going to feature?”
- @GarySmithJnr: “I thought we had no money? €12m on a 16-year-old…”
What should Villa fans know about Madjo?
Madjo has made quite the splash in Ligue 1, having already made five first-team appearances for Metz, who are bottom of the league after 17 appearances.
While the 16-year-old striker has yet to hit the back of the net, he is clearly putting on a show, even managing 80 minutes during a 3-0 defeat to Lyon back in August.
He has also won three caps for Luxembourg, getting the best part of an hour against each of Sweden, Switzerland, and Slovenia, in international friendlies.
Despite the hype, the money still seems like a lot, given that he is still a teenager, but it could be a hugely exciting deal for the Villans, who are searching for more talent in the final third.