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When Frederic Guilbert signed for Aston Villa in January, the idea that he may have been playing Premier League football would have been a distant fantasy.
Signing to play for what he thought was a Championship club, he’ll now return after being loaned back to Caen as a Premier League player.
For everyone at Villa it’ll come as a surprise given their performances for nearly three-quarters of the campaign. However, after Guilbert was relegated from Ligue 1 last weekend, he was also celebrating promotion with Villa.
It must have been a surreal weekend for the Frenchman, but going into next season, how can he benefit the Villans?
On the chalkboard
Given the fact Guilbert is a right back, the player who is most at threat from his imminent arrival is Ahmed Elmohamady.
The Egyptian played a vital hand in Villa’s run to the play-offs and then laid on an assist for Anwar El Ghazi’s opener at Wembley.
For a man who claimed eight assists during 2018/19, it wasn’t a surprise to see him involved in an attacking phase of play.
Yet, Guilbert is a player who can easily surpass him next campaign. The 24-year-old had a brilliant season in France despite Caen’s relegation and the experience he gained from a relegation battle could prove important in the Premier League.
It’s unlikely Villa be one of the favourites to go down but they’ll certainly need a defender that can keep their concentration.
The French defender is someone who is able to do that, something that’s particularly evident in the numbers he’s averaged in terms of stats. In Ligue 1 this term he made 2.9 tackles per game, the nearest defender in the Villa side to that is Neil Taylor who won on average 1.7.
As for interceptions, Guilbert made 2.3 interceptions per match. To put that into context, Tyrone Mings made 1.2.
The impact he has in the defensive third is particularly impressive and given the fact Villa will have more work to do in that area of the pitch in 2019/20, he’ll be particularly suitable.
As for going forward he’s also effective, completing 1.2 dribbles per game. In comparison, Elmohamady only manages 0.3 on average.
Finding the right men for the job over the summer will be crucial for Villa. But judging on this evidence, Smith should have no concerns about Guilbert fitting in, and now has two solid options on the right side of defence.
