Aston Villa are reportedly leading the race to sign Juventus forward Federico Chiesa, however the move could prove to be a repeat of the past for the Villans.
A report from Italian outlet Calciomercato earlier this week claimed that Villa have ‘led above all’ in the pursuit for the Italian winger, with the Turin giants reportedly keen to sell the 25-year-old this summer.
A separate report from the Daily Mail claimed that Juventus have ‘offered’ the former Fiorentina whiz to Premier League clubs, with Villa named as one of those interested.
Unai Emery is keen to equip his side with star quality this summer after securing European football next term, however not all stars are worth aiming for, as seen in the Midlands before.
Would Federico Chiesa be a good signing for Aston Villa?
Lauded as a “diamond” by scout Antonio Mango, Chiesa was once regarded as a shining light in Italy for his time at Fiorentina.
The 25-year-old was snatched up by Juventus back in 2020 on an initial two-year loan deal before making the move permanent last summer.
In his final full Serie A campaign with Fiorentina, the versatile attacker contributed to 19 goals in 34 appearances, scoring 10 and assisting nine in a dominant individual year to showcase his breakthrough as one of the continent's best.
The 2020/21 season marked his first in Turin, where he made 30 appearances and both scored and assisted eight goals in the process.
Since that campaign, the Italian has failed to hit over 30 appearances in a league term for Juve, in an unfortunate sequence of events that have seen him miss a host of game time due to injury.
An anterior cruciate ligament rupture in January 2022 saw the 25-year-old sidelined for 36 games, with his record not getting easier for the player, missing a total of an additional 55 days of action since his recovery.
Players that face individual battles with staying fit face cruel paths, whether that be struggling to rediscover form after time away from action, or returning to find their spot no longer vacant, with Chiesa discovering such hardships at Juventus.
Making just six starts in Serie A last season, the Genova-born gem has fallen down the pecking order in Massimiliano Allegri’s side, not helped by him scoring just four goals over the previous two league campaigns.
Villa could learn from past mistakes before opting to take the £51m plunge to sign Chiesa, who despite his fitness woes is a superb talent, but could present the Villans with more burdens than success.
Villa Park has seen such disappointment with Philippe Coutinho, who arrived in the Midlands in January 2022 with an extensive injury history and has struggled to perform since trading Catalonia for Birmingham permanently last summer.
In 2020, the Brazilian sustained a rupture to his knee, leaving him sidelined for a total of 220 days, which like Chiesa, didn’t mark the end of his injury woes, with the 31-year-old missing an additional 81 days on separate occasions after.
Since returning to England, the former Liverpool gem - who has been linked with a move away from the Midlands side this summer - has scored just six goals in 41 appearances in all competitions, while starting just seven league games for the Villans last campaign.
Spending on Chiesa could implement a repeat of the woes surrounding the fitness and lack of performance from Coutinho, using funds that could allow for a better-suited individual to grace Villa Park.