Aston Villa are in sensational form right now and Unai Emery shows no signs of slowing down as the sky appears to be the limit for this talented squad.
Following their 4-1 victory against West Ham United on the weekend, Villa are currently occupying fifth place in the Premier League table having won six of their nine matches so far and their 5-1 opening-day defeat to Newcastle United has been all but forgotten about.
While his energy and experience boosted the side once he took over from Steven Gerrard last October, Emery has utilised all his experience to bring quality players to the club across his first two transfer windows.
The likes of Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Nicolo Zaniolo and Jhon Duran have all joined the project in the Midlands and despite vast sums of money being spent, they appear to fit perfectly into his system.
With the new arrivals significantly bolstering the squad and giving Emery plenty of depth as his team fight on both domestic and European fronts this season, his ability to move players on who don’t fit into his ideology has also been crucial for progress.
Moving on deadwood such as Marvelous Nakamba, Keinan Davis and Jadon Philogene has enabled the former Arsenal boss to free up room in his ever-growing squad while clearing up some of the wage bill.
It was the sale of Danny Ings back in January, however, which proved to be a key move in Emery strengthening his team and judging by his form since departing, Villa have struck gold on the striker.
How much did Danny Ings cost Aston Villa?
The former Liverpool and Burnley forward moved to Villa Park in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of £25m and while this seemed like a large fee on the surface, the Englishman had scored 46 goals across just 100 matches for Southampton and was in the form of his life.
Dean Smith was aiming to build on Villa’s 11th-place finish the season prior and luring another experienced Premier League forward seemed to be the most logical solution.
Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia also arrived that summer and everything appeared to be in place for a top-half finish for the club, yet Ings failed to replicate the form he displayed on the south coast.
What happened to Danny Ings?
During his maiden season in the Midlands, Ings performed rather well. Across the squad in the Premier League, he ranked second for goals and assists (13) along with ranking third for shots per game (1.6) and scoring frequency (a goal every 273 minutes) yet Villa slumped to a 14th-place finish as Smith was sacked in November and Gerrard was appointed.
Although he wasn’t outstanding, his performances during 2021/22 looked like they could give him a decent base to build upon heading into his second season and hopes were high, especially with Gerrard having a full pre-season with the team.
Early optimism under the former Rangers manager soon turned into a false dawn and Ings managed to score just twice under Gerrard before he was sent packing.
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Emery’s arrival revived a sinking ship, and it looked as though Ings could become a key part of the side under him as he scored four goals across eight matches heading into the January transfer window.
The Spaniard was looking to build a youthful side and although the striker had shown flashes of his talents, it wasn’t long before he found himself on the move again, this time to London.
Where is Danny Ings now?
An offer of £15m from West Ham United was evidently too good to turn down for Emery during the first few months of his Villa stint and considering he was approaching 31 years of age, the club have struck gold with his sale.
He did manage to find the back of the net three times in 22 matches for the Hammers, even securing a Europa Conference League winners medal in the process, and it looked as though the future could be bright.
West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas held a different view however, saying: “I don't think this system works for Danny Ings. He's often too isolated up front. Hasn't quite clicked barring his two goals against Nottingham Forest. Antonio has great work rate so he has no issues playing as a lone striker. But Ings has struggled in that role.”
It appears he has a crystal ball as this season, Ings has been far from his best and receiving £15m for a player who looked to be in the initial stages of decline was excellent business by Emery.
The 2023/24 campaign has seen Ings go scoreless through nine matches and he has only started twice, with none coming in the Premier League.
The £125k-per-week liability might not be at West Ham much longer if this uninspired form continues while his statistics when compared to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues are far from the required standard to compete in the English top flight.
Indeed, Ings fails to rank in the top 60% across the big five leagues with regard to non-penalty goals per 90 (0.31) and shot-creating actions per 90 (1.76) while the 31-year-old even fails to rank in the top 50% for touches in the attacking penalty box per 90 (4.59) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.77), indicating that he no longer belongs amongst the elite.
The Englishman still has a year and half left on his current contract and Moyes may begin to think of moving him on sooner rather than later in order to recoup the majority of the £15m that was spent on him just nine months ago.
Emery certainly got the better end of the deal and his is team flying, especially with Ollie Watkins stepping up to the plate and looking like a man reborn under the 51-year-old, with eight goals and five assists in just 14 games this season.
The key will now be for Emery to move on players for decent transfer fees while using this to bring in fresh talent. The model is working so far and with their recent form, the Villa Park side could finally win their first major trophy since 1996.