Aston Villa have been blessed with some high attackers over current years, notably within the striker division, with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran protruding after all in Unai Emery’s present camp.
Between them this season – Premier League numbers alone – the electrical duo have amassed 9 targets as main males for his or her facet, because the Spaniard hopes they’ll get again to their finest after the worldwide break is up.
There are many different examples away from the right here and now too, with Christian Benteke one identify that may convey up waves of nostalgia for Villa followers as a pointy shooter from years passed by.
Christian Benteke’s numbers at Villa
Benteke is now seeing out his enjoying days like many waning gamers of his ilk do, strutting their stuff within the MLS earlier than retirement begins to loom ever nearer.
However, earlier than he was a assured purpose machine on the books of DC United – who he has bagged a powerful 25 goals for from his final 33 video games – the Belgian was a dependable goalscorer for the Villans too, after the Premier League membership’s punt on the ex-KRC Genk man greater than paid off.
In complete, Benteke – who value £7m to get in via the door in 2012 from his native nation – would hearth dwelling 49 goals from 101 video games within the West Midlands, happening as a modern-day nice at Villa Park within the course of.
Sadly, Benteke could be snapped up by Liverpool after discovering the again of the web 13 occasions throughout his swansong Villa marketing campaign, costing the Reds a bumper £32.5m to choose up in the summertime of 2015.
Whatever the improvement that the previous Villa quantity 20 would go on to be an costly waste at Anfield, his former employers nonetheless did not adequately fill the void left behind by the Belgian in that very same switch window, with one eventual flop meant to melt the almighty blow.
The striker signed to interchange Benteke
Rudy Gestede would be part of the top-flight titans a month after Benteke’s exit to the Reds, costing simply £6m, as Villa have been made to remorse not splashing their newly obtained tens of millions on changing their former hero with a star of an identical high quality.
The previous Blackburn Rovers man’s ‘physical presence brings comparisons to Christian Benteke‘ – because the Every day Mail famous on the time – whereas then-boss Tim Sherwood described his new signing as “higher than something I’ve seen round in English soccer”, with regard to his “immense” aerial presence.
Because it was, Gestede – who “terrorises defenders”, in line with Sherwood – very a lot struggled to deal with the calls for of the league above after being fished out of the Championship, scoring simply five times within the Premier League throughout his debut season which resulted in his new employers struggling relegation.
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Aston Villa notable strikes: 2015 summer season window |
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|---|---|
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Gamers in |
Gamers out |
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Jordan Ayew |
Christian Benteke |
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Jordan Amavi |
Fabian Delph |
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Jordan Veretout |
Andreas Weimann |
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Rudy Gestede |
Yacouba Sylla |
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Joleon Lescott |
Darren Bent |
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Micah Richards |
Matthew Lowton |
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Sourced by Transfermarkt |
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Wanting on the notable ins and outs from that fateful summer season, it is no actual shock that Villa struggled within the method they did, with Fabian Delph’s exit additionally hitting the Villans exhausting centrally, on high of each Andreas Weimann and Darren Bent leaving depleting the firepower much more.
Nonetheless, Gestede ought to have gone on to shine in his new location after relegation, contemplating he had been snapped up after serving to himself to 20 goals for Blackburn within the second tier.
But, the targets simply weren’t forthcoming right here both, because the now-retired 6 foot 4 ahead solely mustered up ten strikes in total for the West Midlands facet, earlier than being sold to Middlesbrough for £6m.
Which means Gestede was bought for round £26m lower than what Villa managed to get out of Liverpool for Benteke, as he by no means went on to change into a hero in an identical method to the Belgian, now arguably rating among the worst Villa signings of contemporary reminiscence, contemplating the expectation ranges when he signed.
It is clear now that the previous Benin worldwide simply could not deal with the intense lights of the Premier League after making such a giant transfer, nor the unhelpful label put above him that he might change such an icon instantly.
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