How Bailey and Buendia fit in to life after Grealish at Aston Villa
After months of speculation, Jack Grealish's drawn out transfer to Manchester City is set to come to a close. The last few days have seen his boyhood club Aston Villa attempt to convince him that the grass isn't greener, but the Emerald Etihad Stadium has proven too tempting for the 25-year-old to turn down.
The chance to work under Pep Guardiola is obviously one not to be sniffed at and having been overlooked for much of this summer's European Championship, Grealish clearly still feels he has a point to prove at the highest level.
It's a level that Villa and their owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are working hard to reach themselves, confirming the signing of Bayer Leverkusen livewire Leon Bailey on Wednesday. He'll join fellow recruits Ashley Young and Emiliano Buendia in B6 ahead of the new season, and the signings certainly won't stop there.
James Ward-Prowse and Todd Cantwell are thought to be chief among the wish list of Sporting Director Johan Lange, while returns for former loanees Axel Tuanzebe and Tammy Abraham are also believed to be on the cards. It's evidence of an acknowledgement on the Villa board's part that a player like Jack Grealish is essentially irreplaceable to a club in Villa's position.
That is in terms of like for like replacements at least. The club are instead wisely looking to fill the void that Grealish's sauntering skill set leaves by plugging those gaps with multiple players and strengthening the overall squad as a result. It's something both Leicester and Liverpool have managed to do successfully in recent times and undeniably the template to follow.
While the club were adamant the arrivals of Buendia and Bailey would have been made irregardless of whether Grealish left the club, there is no doubt that they were identified for the skills that they possess in attempting to replicate his influence should that happen. Buendia's game revolves around his vision and creativity, while Bailey is a more direct threat that can occupy opposition full-backs with his pace and trickery.
Buendia created a massive 3.3 chances per 90 in the Championship last season, running away with the highest WhoScored.com rating in the division (7.78), while Bailey completed a career high of 3.1 dribbles per 90 to rank just outside the top 10 Bundesliga players (7.26).
Between them they notched up 24 goals and 24 assists in the league alone, while Bailey proved his pedigree at a level Villa are desperate to reach, with five goals and two assists in just 512 minutes of Europa League action.
The dilemma now will be where to play the two. Bailey's versatility is such that he can play across the front, albeit offering more of a threat from wide. While he enjoyed an excellent season primarily cutting in off the right last season, he has posted encouraging figures from the left flank throughout his time in Germany.
Indeed, in the 82 starts that Bailey has made across the league and European competition for Bayer Leverkusen, 52 have come from the left side. In said starts he's scored 14 goals, registered eight assists and earned a rating of 7.22. Compare that to the right and the difference is marginal, starting 30 times, scoring ten goals and registering seven assists for a slightly improved rating of 7.27.
His ability to take Grealish's vacated spot on the left would allow for Buendia to continue to play on his customary spot on right. However, the Argentine has made no secret of the fact that he feels he operates best with the freedom to occupy a central position during matches. In fact, much of his best work even comes from relatively deep, where he was able to use his vision to pick out the intelligent runs of Teemu Pukki and already replicated the feat with two superb assists for Ollie Watkins in Villa's opening pre-season friendly against Walsall.
Should Buendia start from the middle rather than just drift there throughout the match, that would allow Bertrand Traore to start on the right or Anwar El Ghazi to start on the left, with Bailey moving to his favoured flank. It would also make an apparent return bid for Tammy Abraham slightly more conceivable.
The Chelsea striker would surely not displace Ollie Watkins from the starting XI, and wouldn't be willing to trade the Stamford Bridge bench for the Villa Park one. However, Watkins' ability to play off the left of what was formally Dean Smith's favoured 4-3-3 formation would allow Bailey to play on the right and Buendia to occupy something of a free role in midfield. The Argentine undeniably has the work rate, remarkably ranking as high as sixth in the Championship for tackles last season, so Dean Smith would certainly not be short of options, even without his star man.
With Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse certainly appearing to be the next priority for Villa, his work rate in a midfield alongside John McGinn, not to mention the returning Douglas Luiz and tireless Marvelous Nakamba, would certainly ensure the likes of Buendia could support the attack from a deeper position.
It may not seem it having lost what was essentially the heart of the club but as impossible as a transplant may seem, Villa are looking to build a machine capable of taking the next step. They remain one of the most intriguing prospects ahead of the impending season, even without their golden boy, and one worthy of the fans excitement, as difficult as it may be to muster right now.
