Unai Emery is heading into his fifth season in charge of Aston Villa.
After finishing 4th in the Premier League last season and winning the Europa League, the Villans will be playing Champions League football this coming season.
The importance of squad depth is emphasized when playing in Europe, especially when going from Europa League to Champions League.
Aston Villa have already lost a number of key players this summer, with Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne all leaving the club.
So how will Emery manage to scrape everything together and go again on all fronts this season?
In this article, we’ll cover
New signings
Aston Villa have spent £90m so far this summer, bringing Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, Modou Keba Cisse and Alejandro Garnacho to the club.
Manzambi became the clubs record signing, joining from Freiburg for a fee of just over £50m.
The 20-year-old is clearly the replacement for Rogers, capable of playing anywhere from centre midfield to centre-forward.
He excels when it comes to his ball carrying, using his power and athleticism to carry over all distances, win duels and then has the confidence to pop shots.
Emery had Jadon Sancho on loan last season as part of his squad, so the arrival of Garnacho on loan from Chelsea is a welcome one for attacking depth.
The 22-year-old struggled for the Blues last season, but there are certain traits the Argentine possesses that intrigues both managers and clubs.
Gomes has arrived to replace Tielemans in midfield, joining from Wolves for a fee of around £34m with £4m worth of add-ons.
The Brazilian is a complete midfielder, contesting duels, making tackles, progressing play and looking to control the game.
Lastly, Cisse has arrived as a depth option in central defence, but at 21-years-old, it is likely his development and pathway to the first team will be managed.
Squad depth chart
Certain areas of the Aston Villa squad are nicely fleshed out, with the right side of defence and left side of attack looking strong.
Manzambi has the ability to play on the left, giving Emery plenty of options for that side of the pitch, while the right-backs of Matty Cash and Kosta Nedeljkovic can also be joined by Ezri Konsa and Cisse in that position.
The striker department is also looking good currently, so the lighter areas are the right side of attack, left side of defence and perhaps an extra body in midfield.
One caveat in the midfield unit, is that Victor Lindelof was used there last season when dealing with injuries, but this is clearly not the ideal solution for Emery in such an important position.
One deal that seems to be on the brink of happening is Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich, who spent last season with Tottenham.
This would add further depth in the midfield department, which makes sense given the injury issues of both Onana and Kamara in the past (and present).
But perhaps more importantly, after Digne leaving this summer, Aston Villa are on the verge of an addition at left-back to battle it out with Ian Maatsen.
Left-back
Emery wants his full-backs to arrive dynamically in the final third, supporting the attack and getting into crossing positions.
Last campaign, Digne managed six assists, creating 26 chances and attempting 106 crosses.
Maatsen is 24-years-old now, and after two seasons being behind Digne in the pecking order, this could be his chance to make the spot his own.
Despite being slight in frame, the speed and intensity of Maatsen helps him defensively, averaging 5.7 duels won per 90 last season, making 2.5 tackles per 90 and 4.7 ball recoveries per 90.
However, Matteo Ruggeri is closing in on his move to Aston Villa, with the 24-year-old expected to challenge for a starting spot.
The Italian full-back is good at arriving in crossing positions, having a good delivery on his left-foot.
Last season, Ruggeri managed seven assists in all competition for Atletico Madrid, his best return so far in his career.
Added fire power
Last season, Emery’s side scored 56 times in the Premier League (seventh-most in the league), despite creating 64 big chances (eighth-most).
With Rogers leaving the club, Aston Villa will be looking to add another forward alongside both Manzambi and Garnacho to firstly sustain their level, but also go beyond and improve.
Brian Madjo, despite being just 17-years-old, has already proven he is ready for minutes after his display against PSG in the Super Cup final earlier this week.
Therefore, an attacker who can play off the right would make the most sense, with John McGinn also able to play as a number 10.
One name that has been mentioned is Endrick from Real Madrid, who could be available for a loan deal this summer.
Another name mentioned is the 2026 World Cup hero, Julian Quinones.
Either way, another attacker alongside a full-back and Palhinha would have the squad looking a lot more healthy, with anything else to strengthen on top of that being a bonus.