Unai Emery's Aston Villa cooking big ahead of the new season

Unai Emery's Aston Villa is gearing up for the new season with strong signings and ambitions of challenging the top teams.

Unai Emery and Aston Villa are preparing well for the new season, how far will they go when the season begins? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Former Arsenal and PSG manager Unai Emery is cooking something special at Aston Villa Park, and it’s going to be dangerous for any team to underrate his team when the season begins.

Aston Villa was right in a relegation battle when Unai Emery took over following the sacking of Steven Gerrard after an embarrassing 3-0 loss at Craven Cottage.

The Spaniard steadied the ship before the World Cup break and didn’t take the foot off the gas until he secured unprecedented European football.

No one would have expected Aston Villa to finish in European places; strong performances against the big boys and incredible points from teams around them in the race also helped. 

Now, Villa is moving in the right direction to improve their quality for the coming season.

Reports emerged on Thursday of a complete agreement between Aston Villa and Spanish defender Pau Torres. 

The defender who was part of Villareal’s Europa League success last year would form a brilliant partnership with Diego Carlos, with Tyron Mings and Ezri Konsa adding strong depth.

Villa is also looking for midfield quality; they’re believed to be interested in Arsenal’s Emile Smith-Rowe and Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi. 

With Unai Emery’s experience, adding a few names to this strong squad could rattle the traditional top six again next season.

Manchester United is unsettled by their imminent takeover bid, and Tottenham is moving in the market.

But the situation of Harry Kane could cause some issues for the North Londoners while things are yet to pick up at Stamford Bridge.

The ideal scenario for every team is to embark on a pre-season tour with the core of the guys that will be regulars next season. 

Aston Villa is trying to ensure that happens with most players returning from holiday this weekend.