Aston Villa Football Club have had four of their players representing their respective nations at Euro 2024. Representing your country at a major tournament is always a proud moment, and for these players, it comes off the back of an impressive campaign with Villa, which saw them finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League.
Sadly, two of the Villa players at Euro 2024 have already been eliminated. John McGinn and his Scotland side were knocked out at the group stages in heartbreaking fashion against Hungary. Youri Tielemans of Belgium was recently eliminated by France in the round of 16 with a Randal Kolo Muani shot ricocheting off Jan Vertonghen and deflection in to send them home.
Villa’s other two Euros representatives are from England, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa. Watkins, the Premier League’s playmaker of the season for 2023/24, came off the bench against Denmark in the groups to play 20 minutes, although did not get on the scoresheet, and Konsa’s sole appearance so far was off the bench, too. The 26-year-old played 15 minutes against Slovakia in extra time as his side looked to hold onto the lead.
Now, with the transfer window open and players putting their names in the shop window, Villa have been linked with another Euro 2024 star who has impressed despite being eliminated from the tournament.
Villa target Serie A defender
The player in question here is Udinese and Slovenia centre-back Jaka Bijol, who was impressive in his country’s run to the round of 16. Following an impressive campaign for Udinese, too, he is thought to be targeted by some big clubs across Europe this summer.
According to a report Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato, the Villans have made 'concrete surveys' about signing the 25-year-old this summer. Villa could 'continue to shop in Italy', following their double signing of Juventus pair Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea.
However, the report suggests that Villa are not the only side interested in signing the impressive defender. Scudetto winners Inter, Antonio Conte’s Napoli and Lazio are all thought to be interested in a move for Bijol.
There is not currently a clarification on how much a move for Bijol would be. However, according to Football Transfers valuation tool, he is worth £14m, a fair amount given he still has three years left on his deal with Udinese.
Why Bijol would be a good signing
Bijol was part of one of the most impressive defensive performances at Euro 2024 so far, despite tasting defeat against Portugal. His side kept the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes quiet, taking them all the way to penalties before being eliminated in heartbreaking fashion.
In his post-match ratings for Goal.Com, journalist Louis Wheeldon gave Bijol a 7/10 rating, pointing out that he “battled well” for his side, before noting how well he “kept his cool” under copious amounts of pressure. Indeed, this was reflected in his stats after the game from Sofascore.
He made ten clearances, which was more than anyone on the pitch, as well as winning three out of five aerial duels and made three crucial blocks for his side. It was a simply colossal performance from the Udinese defender.
Indeed, this outing is one we saw regularly from Bijol at Euro 2024. He played every minute of his side’s campaign and helped to keep a clean sheet against Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham's England in the group stages, conceding just one goal each against Denmark and Serbia. He was also a crucial player for Udinese last season, playing 24 times, despite a long three-month spell on the sidelines with a scaphoid fracture.
The 26-year-old is a wonderful box defender, and should Villa get the deal done, he could be the ideal signing to complement Pau Torres, the Villans’ key man at the back under Unai Emery. Firstly, the pair are ideal for each other given Bijol is right-footed and Torres left-footed, making them an dream duo from that point of view.
As a pure defender, Bijol is superb, and that is reflected in his stats via FBref. He averages 6.03 clearances per 90 minutes, as well as 2.84 combined tackles and interceptions per 90. He is also dominant in the air, winning 3.62 aerial duels on average per 90.
Clearances
6.03
Aerial duels won
3.62
Aerial duel win %
96.4%
Tackles and interceptions
2.84
This would work well with the Spanish defender, who missed out on a spot at Euro 2024. Torres is a great recovery defender, averaging 4.64 ball recoveries per 90. However, the 27-year-old is not quite as good of a box defender, with his best attributes coming on the ball, something Bijol is not as strong at.
The Slovenian averages just 1.81 progressive passes and completes an average of 27.8 passes per 90, a far cry from Torres’ numbers. In contrast, the Spaniard plays 4.67 progressive passes and completes 57.0 passes each game. It is fair to say there is a clear gulf between the two.
However, they can still work as a centre-back duo, given their left-foot, right-foot combination, and complementary attributes; Bijol being a far superior box-defender and Torres being the better player on the ball.
For a player valued at just £14.4m, it could be a smart move for Villa and could add to their depth at centre-back. Given Clement Lenglet’s loan has now expired, and he will not be joining permanently, they need to deepen their squad in defence, and Bijol could be the perfect addition.
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