Four lessons Everton can learn from Aston Villa including £31m transfer masterstroke
It's appropriate that David Moyes’ first game in charge back at is against - because the Merseyside club can learn from them how to succeed in the Premier League.
Villa were deep in relegation trouble when Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in October 2022 and only goals scored was keeping them out of the relegation zone. Yet that same season, Emery guided them to seventh and qualified for Europe.
He topped that by finishing fourth last season and leading Villa into the Champions League for the first time since 1982. Emery has achieved all this success without spending oodles of cash and Everton can learn valuable lessons from Villa.
And, with Everton hosting Villa in Moyes' first match back at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, Mirror Football takes a look at how their Premier League rivals are the perfect example of how to rebuild the club...
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Transfers and Villa's £31m masterstrokeEverton have been handicapped in the transfer market because Sean Dyche had to make a profit for the last two summers. Finding goalscorers was his biggest failing and Villa have achieved the seemingly-impossible in buying them for knockdown fees.
Supersub Jhon Duran was signed for just £18million from MLS side Chicago Fire in January 2023 and the Colombian has bagged 12 goals this season. Morgan Rogers cost £8million from Middlesbrough a year ago and the midfielder has contributed seven goals to earn his first England call-up.
Even the £5million they spent on Ross Barkley last summer was well invested and the former England midfielder has four goals and one assist, mainly from the bench. Villa have sold well too and they offloaded Douglas Luiz to Juventus last summer for £42.35million after paying Manchester City £15million for him.
Everton fans never took to Sean Dyche because of his Burnley background and at least Moyes can point back to his successful first reign, although it remains to be seen if he has the vision at 61 to take the Blues where The Freidkin Group want to go.
Fans’ view of Emery was coloured by his failure at Arsenal when he had the unenviable task of trying to succeed Arsene Wenger. Wenger had carried on too long and Arsenal were well past their best, leaving Emery with an impossible task to make them title contenders.
After winning three successive Europa Leagues with Sevilla before Arsenal, he won a fourth with Villarreal in 2021, beating Manchester United in the final. He also won the Ligue 1 and the French Cup and League Cup with Paris St Germain and he is an undoubted winner.
He has also bought into Villa and understands what they need to be successful.
Get everyone on the same page Moyes needs to quickly form a relationship with The Friedkin Group and Dyche director of football Kevin Thelwell got little help from above. Villa totally believe in Emery and have let the Spaniard appoint or recommend everyone around him.
Emery’s appointment of Pako Ayestaran was inspired and the Spaniard played a huge part in Rafa Benitez’s success at Liverpool. He has been key at Villa and is plugged in to how Emery thinks.
Emery overhauled off-field-operations last summer and brought Monchi in as president of football operations from Sevilla, where the pair enjoyed great success. He also brought in his old friend Damian Vidagany as sporting director and he and Monchi know exactly what kind of signings the Basque wants.
Everton fans hated Dyche’s negative football and only Southampton had scored fewer than their 15 Premier League goals. Moyes must win them over and Emery has done this with his 4-2-3-1 formation at Villa.
The players totally buy into his style and he likes to press opponents, keeping a high-defensive line. He operates with a double pivot in midfield and John McGinn will drop back and help in defence and then support Ollie Watkins when they attack.
Emery likes at least one full-back to attack, using a defensive three as cover and his formation is fluid and fast-moving.
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