Emery could land Cash upgrade by reigniting Villa move for “beautiful” £70m-rated ace – opinion

At Villa Park, this world champion might be the ideal player to take Cash’s place.

Aston Villa, who are only three points behind the top spot in the Premier League going into the new year, have had a better season than many could have possibly predicted.

Though the window is set to open in a few days, head coach Unai Emery of Spain might still feel that one or two areas could be strengthened in January despite being thrilled with his players’ performances this season.

There is a specific player who could prove to be Emery’s saviour this winter and greatly strengthen Villa’s defence, but the acquisition will undoubtedly come at a cost.

News about Nahuel Molina’s transfer to Aston Villa
Aston Villa was the front-runner to sign Atletico Madrid fullback Nahuel Molina in January, according to reports from Spain back in October. Additionally, although neither side has officially announced it, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently disclosed in November that the 25-year-old was expected to sign a new contract with Los Colchoneros.

At the start of the 2022–2023 season, the Argentine defender—who cost an estimated £17.3 million—moved to the Spanish capital from Serie A club Udinese. Since then, Molina has led Atletico to a third-place result in the previous campaign and even won a World Cup winner’s medal with Argentina in Qatar halfway through the season.

During the winter, Molina was Argentina’s first-choice right-back in the Middle East. He scored a goal in the quarterfinals, helping the South American team to victory over the Netherlands on penalties. The Atletico defender was deemed “beautiful to watch” by journalist Josh Bunting during the competition.

Molina’s market value has surged to £70 million as a result of his outstanding performances over the last twelve to eighteen months, as per the CIES Football Observatory.

This season’s stats for Nahuel Molina
Right-back is one position on Aston Villa’s squad where Emery has attempted in recent months to hide his shortcomings. When playing against lesser teams, Matty Cash is primarily used on the right side of the back four by the manager. Cash, though, is benched when playing against more formidable opponents, like Manchester United.

Since Emery likes to have a more defensive player in that position against the best teams, Ezri Konsa has already been called upon to fill in at right-back several times this season, including during Villa’s loss to Manchester United on Boxing Day. When Konsa faced Marcus Rashford after being added back into the starting lineup, he performed admirably, winning 11 out of 15 duels, 67% of his tackles, and eight ball recoveries.

Then, theoretically, Emery will use Cash against Sheffield United and other teams that are not as good as Villa. The Poland international, though, has found it difficult to contribute anything on the right flank in recent weeks. Cash lost possession of the ball 25 times in last week’s 1-1 draw with the Blades, and Birmingham World gave him a 4/10 match rating for his clumsy performance.

Molina has outperformed Cash in a number of metrics this season, and he appears to be a clear upgrade over the Aston Villa fullback. Molina has been much better offensively and defensively than Cash.

Emery doesn’t think Cash should start in crucial matches, so Villa may need to make a big January acquisition for a new right-back. Molina will cost a lot, but the investment will be well worth it.

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