Aston Villa have been one of the busiest clubs during the English Premier League pre-season. Having lost their influential midfielder Jack Grealish to champions Manchester City, the Villains wasted no time as they invested £25 million in prolific Southampton striker Danny Ings.
More deals are likely but could any more new faces spell the end for Villa’s Zimbabwe international midfielder Marvelous Nakamba?
Mixed Reports
Nakamba arrived at Villa Park in a 12 million Euro deal from Club Brugge in 2019. He’s not been a regular in the first team but he has made 42 appearances in his first two years in the English top flight.
A defensive midfielder, his job is to stop the opposition from scoring and he’s been notable for his determined displays in front of the back four. Pre-season is the perfect time to impress the manager but has Nakamba done enough to get into Dean Smith’s starting XI ahead of the new campaign?
In a friendly match against Bristol City, Aston Villa emerged as 3-0 winners but Marvelous Nakamba received some criticism after the final whistle. Distribution was the issue with many of his passes going astray. However, the critics acknowledged that this was his worst display of what had been a promising pre-season up to that point.
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In matches prior to the Bristol City game, Makamba had shone and many Villa fans feel that he’s earned the chance of a long run in the side.
Realistic Targets
Aston Villa have some £100 million GBP to spend following the sale of Jack Grealish. By purchasing Danny Ings, Dean Smith’s side have secured the services of one of the most prolific strikers in the division but what can they realistically expect from the 2021/22 season? A top six finish and a place in the Europa League may be the target for the club this time around.
It’s a reasonable aim but Smith’s men aren’t getting too much support from the sportsbooks. Sports betting sites affiliated to sbo.net have top six markets in place but Aston Villa are merely the 11th favourites to slide into a Europa League slot.
The likes of West Ham United, Leicester City, Spurs and Leeds United are above Villa in that particular table. Once the new season gets underway, those odds will cross to the live sections of each sportsbook and sbo.net will continue to update them throughout the campaign.
Readers can also check the website for any news and opinion relating to football and to the Premier League in general. Having taken in all that information, it’s possible to take things a step further with sign up deals from a panel of sportsbooks. Many sites will also have a choice of funding methods and it may even be possible to access some live streamed action.
If Villa continue to spend wisely following the sale of Jack Grealish, they may well be a good option for that top six finish. Whether Marvelous Nakamba remains a part of the manager’s plans remains to be seen.
Next Steps
Nakamba is only the fourth Zimbabwean player to feature in the English Premier League and his progress will be followed with great interest back home. He’s already been playing in the division for two years but has yet to really nail down his place in the first team.
There are isolated reports of a possible sale before the English transfer window is closed. Back in July, an English national newspaper reported that Everton and Crystal Palace had been monitoring the 27 year old and that both were considering a bid.
Manager Dean Smith may well want to keep him in reserve but the player will surely want more regular first team football following a frustrating campaign in 2020/21. Nakamba spent much of that season on the subs’ bench so he may well consider a switch if Everton or Palace were to come forward.
Aston Villa will begin their new Premier League campaign away to Watford on Saturday August 14th. If Marvelous Nakamba is included in the starting XI, we can be certain that he’ll be given a chance to impress. If he misses out, it may be time to move on in search of regular first team football.
