Aston Villa have enjoyed a season of unpredicted success, with the Villans being just one game away from securing European football next term.
When Unai Emery took over in October, the squad was one lurking around the bottom half of the table, lacking creativity and stability under Steven Gerrard.
The Spaniard’s arrival turned the table at Villa, who have progressed at an astounding rate, ranking as the second-best team of 2023 in the Premier League behind champions Manchester City.
Things are going from strength to strength at Villa Park, as the club look to be in for a busy summer with a reported £150m budget being handed to Emery to improve his squad.
While Villa have been linked to a host of attractive talent from all over the continent ahead of the transfer window, the latest name speculated with a potential move to the Midlands is a more cost-effective option.
Who is Azeem Abdulai?
Swansea City midfielder Azeem Abdulai has made just one appearance for the Swans, but is a valued member of the academy in south Wales.
The 20-year-old has gathered interest from a number of clubs, as per a report by the Daily Mail, with Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United and Villa “keeping tabs” on the youngster's progress.
Playing as a defensive midfielder, the Glasgow-born talent captured the eye of Scotland’s U21 team, and was handed his call-up to the international games played in March.
The budding talent was signed by Celtic’s academy before being released in 2019. He signed for the Swans in 2021 after spending some time at Leicester City.
Now, it looks as though the Scotsman may get his breakthrough at the age of 20, perhaps conventionally later than normally expected in today’s game – though what is age when undeniable talent is on show?
What could Azeem Adbulai offer to Aston Villa?
Lauded as “fantastic” by Swansea’s departing senior professional development phase coach Jon Grey, Abdulai has been likened to Jude Bellingham for his playing style.
The 20-year-old’s ‘stature, playing style and ability’ were noted by the Daily Mail as being his key attributes that bear similarities to the Borussia Dortmund ace, and a style that would suit the requirements in Emery’s Villa midfield.
The Spaniard has an impressive track record when it comes to developing the careers of young players, and as seen throughout his previous clubs, isn’t afraid to drop senior players for a budding star if performance is evident.
Villa’s deep midfield often consists of 25-year-old Douglas Luiz and 23-year-old Boubacar Kamara – two young talents that tick together in marshalling the engine room.
A player such as Abdulai could provide added depth to Emery’s midfield plans for the future, as well as seeing Villa Park as an appropriate place to grow in seeing that the progression of young players is alive and kicking.
When Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham City, the evidence was there of the player he could become, and with comparisons to the England international there, Villa could have their answer to the 19-year-old ace valued at £173m (€200m) – as per CIES Football Observatory.