Aston Villa have completed the signings of Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus.
The Athletic reported last week that Villa had agreed a €22million ($18.6m; $23.6m) fee for Iling-Junior, 20, and Barrenechea, 23, with Juventus. The pair have signed five-year contracts with their new club.
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In a separate deal, Juventus have signed midfielder Douglas Luiz from Villa for €50m. Luiz’s departure from Villa was confirmed on Sunday.
Iling-Junior joined Juventus from Chelsea’s academy in 2020 and has made 45 first-team appearances since making his debut in 2022. Last season, the winger played 27 times for Juventus, scoring once, and also featured regularly for the England Under-21s.
Barrenechea spent last season on loan at Frosinone. The Argentinian midfielder started 32 of their 38 Serie A games but could not prevent them from suffering relegation to Serie B on the final day of the campaign. He joined Juventus from Swiss side Sion in 2020 and played five times for them during the 2022-23 season, before heading to Frosinone on loan last term.
Villa, meanwhile, have already confirmed the departure of midfielder Tim Iroegbunam to Everton. Forward Lewis Dobbin has moved to Villa Park from Everton in a separate transaction.
Villa begin their 2024-25 Premier League with a trip to West Ham United on August 17.
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‘Depth, variation and a youthful injection to this Villa side’
In Iling-Junior, Villa have signed a player they long admired. Emery has required alternative options out-wide, with the 20-year-old capable of operating at left wing-back and in central areas. His strengths lay in being used as a ball-carrying vehicle — last season, he ranked in the top five per cent of full/wing-backs for carries into the penalty area — which is crucial to Villa’s ability to transition from deep, a staple under Emery.
While the same cannot be said for Barrenechea — he only became part of talks when a deal for Weston McKennie broke down — he is sufficiently pliable to elevate his levels under Emery. He will add midfield depth, provide cover for Boubacar Kamara — who is out with an ACL injury until October at the earliest — and provide an alternative option to the current pool of midfielders, with the 23-year-old often used as a lone No 6 when building in the defensive third in Juventus’s under-23 side and on loan at Frosinone last season.
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Typically, Barrenechea operates as the more conservative of the midfield pair, displaying metronomic tendencies — in the 76th percentile for passes attempted (60.93) and 93rd percentile for touches in the defensive third, particularly impressive in a low-possession team — and an ability to play through midfield, crucial to an Emery midfielder
Both add depth, variation and a youthful injection to a Villa side that has had to change its summer plans due to PSR.
(Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
