Aston Villa’s summer spending spree shows no sign of slowing down after they landed left-back Antonio Luna from Spanish club Sevilla for a fee reported to be in the region of £1.5m. The 22-year-old arrives on a three-year contract and is Paul Lambert’s fifth signing of the close-season, following the acquisition of Aleksandr Tonev, Jores Okore, Leandro Bacuna and Nicklas Helenius to Villa Park over the last few weeks.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Luna admitted that Lambert’s decision to freshen up his first-team squad by focussing on youth was a key factor in his decision to move to the midlands.
“The manager explained to me that it is a young squad but also one with good experience and everyone is hungry, everybody wants to succeed here. This is perfect because I am keen to make progress myself and I want to be part of this…Obviously, I have watched Premier League games and I am totally aware of the pace of the game and that the challenge is to constantly be at the maximum and top of your performance…I really can’t wait to get started and to play my first game. I have a great expectation coming here.”
The History
A product of the Sevilla youth system, Luna made his debut for the club’s reserve team in 2009/10, making 32 appearances and finding the net once. The following year, he featured for the senior side on a couple of occasions but was farmed out on loan to La Liga side Almeria midway through the campaign, where he produced a single assist in 13 league matches as the club slipped out of the Spanish top-flight.
Returning to Sevilla, he featured 14 times in the 2011/12 campaign, producing a goal and assist but, after making four first-team appearances last term, Luna was once again sent out on loan. Staying in Spain, he temporarily moved to Mallorca, providing one assist in 13 games, but he once again suffered the ignominy of relegation before returning to his parent club at the end of the season. Luna has also represented his country at youth level, featuring for the Spain U19 and U20 sides on a total of seven occasions.
The Prospects
Certainly, Luna’s chances of nailing down the left-back berth look strong for the season ahead. Last time out, Lambert seemed unconvinced by the likes of Joe Bennett and, while Matt Lowton was quick to nail down a role on the right after moving from Sheffield United, the Villa boss utilised four different players on the opposite side of his defence, with Nathan Baker, Enda Stevens and Eric Lichaj all handed a chance.
With Lichaj now released and Baker more comfortable at centre-half to compete with the likes of Ciaran Clark for starts, Luna is likely to get the nod over Bennett for a regular role, though it’s fair to say Villa’s lack of resilience remains a concern. Lambert’s attacking policy – which saw former club Norwich register just three clean sheets in 2011/12 – was again in evidence last term, as the midlands outfit nullified their opponents on five occasions and conceded in every match from Gameweek 17 onwards.
On the positive side, a total of 69 goals against – only less porous than relegated duo Reading and Wigan, with 73 goals conceded apiece – will ensure Villa’s defensive assets remain firmly in the budget bracket, with a price of 4.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) looking the likeliest scenario. While Brad Guzan’s propensity to rack up the save points and Lowton’s attacking instincts are likely to keep them ahead of the new boy on our Fantasy radars, Luna may be one to watch if he can replicate the latter’s impact and perhaps present an even cheaper alternative.
Villa’s opening three fixtures, which pit them against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, are enough to deter initial backline investment, though – furthermore, while the trip to Stamford Bridge, originally schedule for Gameweek 3, could be moved to an earlier date and hand Lambert’s side a double, their defensive record is hardly persuasive. With matches against City and Spurs also in the opening eight Gameweeks, Lambert’s men have one of the trickiest starts to the season of any side – Fantasy managers will no doubt be happy to steer clear and allow Villa time to settle before contemplating Luna and his fellow defensive options.
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