Aston Villa have taken a turning point since the arrival of Unai Emery in October 2022, with the Spaniard imprinting his guidance and values on the squad for the benefit of the club.
Despite rocketing the side he inherited from Steven Gerrard from 16th in the Premier League table to 7th by the end of the 2022/23 campaign, the former Arsenal boss has a long way to go in terms of perfecting his squad.
The new additions of the summer transfer window identified the calibre of player that Emery wants in his side, with such quality not yet resonating throughout the side he took over from those before him.
By offloading big-earner Philippe Coutinho to Qatar on loan this summer, the manager began to weave through the deadwood at Villa Park, with another name the subject of a potential exit during the window.
Winger Bertrand Traore was said to be wanted by Turkish side Samsunspor in the summer, after featuring in the Super Lig during a loan spell with Basaksehir last term, however the move was not sanctioned.
Signed by Dean Smith in 2020, Traore was part of a £17m deal from Olympique Lyonnais as the former Villa manager aimed to bolster his side’s options going forward.
The former Chelsea attacker was familiar with the demands of the Premier League, making the capture a strong one, with him penning a four-year deal worth £77k-per-week, making him the club’s fourth-highest paid player at the time.
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