In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, journalist Dean Jones mentioned that Aston Villa are big admirers of Sevilla full-back Marcos Acuna. Jones said,
“They got seemingly very close to pushing this one over the line in the summer and it didn’t happen. I think from that moment, I was very skeptical about it ever rearing its head again and actually becoming something that was actually reasonable. But here we are, again, and Villa are being linked with him (Acuna). And I think there’s a small possibility that is something that they look to press on with. I think that one of the things we have to consider here is that Emery himself has a real fondness towards the player. I think that that’s probably the one thing that makes me take this so seriously.”
Acuna’s Solid Season In La Liga
Acuna is having a decent campaign at Sevilla but has missed a lot of games for them because of injuries. The 32-year-old has picked up a couple of assists in 12 matches for the Andalusian club this season across all fronts.
The Argentine talent deserves some credit for averaging 1.5 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 0.5 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has even been accurate with his ball distribution after making 84.1% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Bring Acuna On Board?
Acuna is a good tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his team at the back. He usually clears the danger when needed and can even make some driving runs with the ball on the left flank. The Argentine full-back can create the odd chance for his teammates up top. He has got a wealth of experience at the highest level.
However, at 32, Acuna is a player on the decline. Still, we can expect him to enhance the quality of Aston Villa boss Unai Emery’s team in the short term. He is good enough to compete with Lucas Digne for a regular starting spot at Villa Park.
Hence, the West Midlands club should think about bringing Acuna on board this winter.
