In a recent edition of State of the Nation podcast (via Birmingham Mail), pundit Alexi Lalas urged Aston Villa to land Leeds United talent Tyler Adams. Lalas said,
“I don’t want to see Tyler Adams play in the Championship.
“And I think of the trio of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams is I think the most valuable and did himself the best in terms of the way he is viewed.
“So, I would love to see this [move to Aston Villa]. I’ll put Tyler Adams up against anybody.”
Adams’ Difficult Season At Elland Road
Adams endured a tough campaign at Elland Road as he struggled to help Leeds avoid being relegated from the Premier League. The United States international was involved in 26 matches for the Whites last season across multiple competitions.
The 24-year-old anchored the midfield with conviction at times by averaging 3.7 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.0 clearances per game in Premier League football. He was even tidy when distributing possession from midfield after completing 82.4% of his attempted passes in the English top flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Move In For Adams?
Adams is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his tackles well to secure possession back for his side at the centre of the park. He usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the front foot and is careful when passing the ball from midfield.
However, the United States sensation needs to add a few goals to his game if he wants to become a more accomplished footballer someday. He is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also play as a right-back or as a right-sided wide player if asked to do so.
Adams will inject more quality into Unai Emery’s first XI at Villa Park. He has what it takes to challenge John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara at the West Midlands club next season. Thus, Aston Villa would be wise to move in for Adams during this summer transfer window.
