Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will be keen on adding some more quality to his squad following the signing of Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen.
The Midlands side spent £21m on the player, who scored five goals this season for the German giants before sealing his move to Villa.
Emery has now built an excellent side, and he will be aiming to finish in the top four of the Premier League table for the second season in a row, thus qualifying for the Champions League once again.
The club are unbeaten since a Boxing Day defeat to Newcastle, embarking on a run of form that could see them enjoy a special few months ahead.
One player who is shining for the Villa Park outfit this season – and who could be key to their charge for a top-four place – is Morgan Rogers.
The youngster has gone from strength to strength since joining the club a year ago, even making his senior debut for England, playing against Greece and the Republic of Ireland in November.
If he can maintain his current form, Emery will have a chance of going deep in both Europe and the Premier League, while looking to end their major trophy drought by winning the FA Cup.
Morgan Rogers’ season in numbers
When the Englishman joined Villa, it was a transfer with the future in mind. Rogers had enjoyed a productive spell at Middlesbrough, but the consensus was he would have to bide his time and work his way into Emery’s team.
He ended up making 16 appearances in the top flight and Conference League during the second half of last term, scoring three goals in the process. His talent was obvious from the very start.
This positive introduction meant he kept his place in the starting XI ahead of the current season and he has repaid Emery’s faith by emerging as arguably Villa’s most consistent performer.
Indeed, across 27 matches in all competitions, Rogers has scored seven goals and registered five assists, starting all but three of their games throughout the current season.
Among his teammates, Rogers ranks second in the squad for goals and assists (ten), second for shots per game (1.8), third for big chances created (eight), second for key passes per game (1.5) and first for successful dribbles per match (two) in the Premier League.
Metric
Champions League
Premier League
Goals
0
6
Assists
1
4
Big chances created
2
8
Key passes per game
1.8
1.5
Successful dribbles per game
4
2
Impressive across a range of metrics, Rogers offers plenty to this Villa team, either on the left flank or directly behind the main striker.
Emery has a genuine superstar in his midst, which could see the club secure a significant profit on their initial investment in the coming years.
Could Rogers perhaps have competition, however? As a young Villa starlet who has recently been recalled from a loan spell, looks set to remain in the Midlands, despite plenty of clubs taking an interest in signing him.
Louie Barry is someone who, if given a chance, can potentially make a similar impact that Rogers has made over the previous 12 months.
Louie Barry's future at Aston Villa
After spending the first half of the season on loan at Stockport County, scoring 16 goals in the process, Emery recalled the youngster from this temporary spell.
According to reports, both Celtic and Lens made offers for the 21-year-old in recent weeks, but it looks as though the Spaniard has made his mind up on the Englishman.
It has also been reported that the manager is looking to give a new contract to the left-winger before deciding whether he can be an option to count upon between now and the end of the current season.
Whatever his decision, there is clear potential there and if Barry is developed at Villa in the same way that Rogers has, then he could force his way into the team sooner rather than later.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Is Emery brewing the next Jack Grealish for Villa? It certainly appears so.
Louie Barry can be the next Jack Grealish at Villa Park
The similarities are uncanny between the two. Both tend to play most of their football on the left flank, while the pair have enjoyed loan spells in the EFL during the embryonic stages of their careers.
Before Grealish became a £100m player in 2021, he spent a season on loan at Notts County in 2013/14, going on to register 12 goal contributions across 37 games in League One for the club.
The following season, he made 17 Premier League appearances and a star was born.
During his temporary spell this term with Stockport, Barry was on fire. Not only did he score 16 times for the club, but he also grabbed three assists in League One, created five big chances, averaged one key pass and succeeded with 2.3 dribbles per game.
He drew praise from Sky Sports pundit Michael Dawson during the opening weekend of the season, where he scored a stunning effort against Cambridge United, lauded for his “unbelievable” technique.
Out of his 15 league goals this term, five have come from outside the box, meaning he isn’t one to rely on the ball breaking inside the opposition penalty area.
Turning down offers this month demonstrates how keen Emery is to keep the youngster, especially with his ceiling so high.
Grealish used his spell further down the football league pyramid to enhance his skills and prove that with some game time in the top flight, he could turn into the next big thing to emerge from the club.
Barry has the perfect chance to follow in his footsteps over the next 12 months. If he can make the matchday squad and get the odd minute here and there, it could set him up for an important 2025/26 campaign.
Rogers might be in the form of his life, but he will have to keep one eye on the progress of Barry. That’s a certainty.
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