The summer transfer window officially slams shut later this week and Aston Villa only have until Friday night to complete any business that they still want to do.
Unai Emery and Monchi have already enjoyed a busy summer of signings with eight new arrivals coming through the door at Villa Park so far.
The likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen, and Jaden Philogene have all been snapped up, although they re-signed Cameron Archer before immediately selling him to Southampton.
With these fresh additions, Villa have started the Premier League campaign with three points from the opening two matches – beating West Ham United 2-1 and losing 2-0 to Arsenal.
The Villans were beaten 2-0 by the Gunners in their second game on Saturday in the evening kick-off, thanks to goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey.
Despite all the new signings, Onana was the only summer addition who started the match as he lined up in the middle of the park with Youri Tielemans.
Whilst it was a disappointing result for Emery's side, there were some impressive performances on the pitch from individuals and one player who caught the eye with his display was versatile attacker Morgan Rogers.
Morgan Rogers' impressive start to the season
The England U21 international lined up alongside Ollie Watkins at Villa Park on Saturday and showcased his powerful running, impressive dribbling, and creativity against the Gunners.
Rogers was almost unstoppable when driving forward with the ball, as he completed five of his seven attempted dribbles, and created two chances, including one 'big chance', but was not rewarded with an assist.
He slotted the ball across to Watkins for, what seemed like, a simple opportunity for the English centre-forward to hit the target and find the back of the net, but the ex-Brentford man scuffed his effort wide of the post, with the score at 0-0.
That display from Rogers came after he had created two chances and completed one of his two attempted dribbles in the 2-1 win over the Hammers in the first game of the season.
The 22-year-old joined the club on a permanent deal from Championship side Middlesbrough in January, after a return of two goals and six assists in 14 starts in the second tier,
Appearances
11
Starts
8
Goals
3
Assists
1
Big chances created
1
As you can see in the table above, Rogers enjoyed a promising start to life in the top-flight with four direct goal contributions in eight starts for the Villans.
He has already created as many 'big chances' (one) this season as he did in those 11 appearances in the second half of last term and the hope should be that the English powerhouse is able to kick on and enjoy a terrific first full campaign with the club.
Emery and Monchi could aid his development by landing a dream signing for him at the top end of the pitch in the form of one of the team's reported transfer targets.
Aston Villa interested in Premier League forward
Earlier this month, Football Insider reported that Aston Villa are interested in a potential swoop to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace.
The outlet claimed that the Villans want to bolster their attacking options before the end of the summer transfer window and are in the market to bring in a 'lethal' forward.
It was stated that Villa have already made contact with their Premier League rivals to discuss a possible deal for the £50k-per-week centre-forward this month.
Football Insider added that the Eagles are not interested in cashing in on the former Mainz number nine and, at the time, were hoping to tie him down to a contract extension.
However, it was claimed by South London Press last week that Palace have not made any progress in their contract talks with Mateta, which suggests that they are struggling to get him to commit to Selhurst Park.
The report also revealed that the 27-year-old marksman would like to play in the Champions League, which could give Villa a boost in their pursuit of his services, given their inclusion in the group phase of the competition this season.
Why Mateta could be a dream for Rogers
Monchi and Emery could secure a different number nine option to Watkins by sealing a deal to sign Mateta from Palace before Friday's deadline.
Whilst the England international is a dynamic and fast striker who looks to play off the shoulder of defenders and make runs in-behind to stretch backlines, the French ace is more of a powerful and reliable hold-up striker who can bring others into the game.
Palace thrived in the second half of last season with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze as two wide number tens playing just behind the 6 foot 4 menace.
He provided a fantastic foil for the two attacking midfielders, who combined for 22 goals and ten assists in the Premier League, and Rogers could thrive in a similar role.
The Villa youngster could use his powerful running to play off Mateta and then run beyond him to create chances for himself to improve his own goal tally, as the Palace star provided five assists from a striker position last term in the league.
Meanwhile, the French centre-forward's impressive finishing could also help to make the most of Rogers' creativity, as the 'big chance' he created against Arsenal was not converted into an assist.
Starts
25
xG
10.94
Goals
16
Big chances created
5
Assists
5
As you can see in the table above, Mateta, who was hailed as "underrated" by journalist Josh Bunting, was clinical in front of goal with a return of 16 goals from 10.94 xG.
The Palace star overperformed his xG by more than Watkins did for Villa, as the England international scored 19 goals from 16.93 xG, and this suggests that he could provide a more ruthless presence in the final third when Emery wants a different option alongside Rogers up front.
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Therefore, Villa should push to secure a deal for the Eagles marksman before the end of the summer transfer window, as Mateta could be a dream signing for the club and for Rogers.
