Aston Villa players celebrate. (Getty Images)
Aston Villa made 12 new signings last summer but they have failed miserably and are languishing near the relegation zone in the Premier League table at the moment.
The Villans have not performed as per top-flight standards and club captain Jack Grealish looks to be the only one putting in outstanding displays.
As a result, Dean Smith signed 5 new players last month, marking the highest number of signings made by a Premier League club this January along with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Let’s take a look at Aston Villa’s strongest line-up after the January transfer window.
First-choice shot-stopper Tom Heaton suffered knee ligament damage and is set to miss the remainder of the season. Therefore, Reina bought on loan will be the best option to continue in goal for the Villans.
A versatile player, the Charlton Academy graduate has been preferred ahead of Bjorn Engels in the last seven games. Konsa also has two assists to his name and must continue on the left of the three-man defence.
The England international has taken his game to a higher level this season and also earned a call up to the national team for his impressive performances. He has been a regular under Smith. He deserves to be the key in the heart of the defence for the rest of the campaign.
The 24-year-old initially struggled for game time. But he has featured in every possible minute in the last 9 games.
Targett has done better than Welshman Neil Taylor in this position. He has contributed to the team while going forward with 2 assists and 1 goal. He must start regularly ahead of his competitor for the rest of the season.
Despite signing Danny Drinkwater on loan last month, the Brazilian would be the best option in the middle of the park for the Villans. He has already scored three goals and provided 2 assists whereas, Drinkwater has been completely out of action for a long time.
The absence of star player John McGinn has bee a huge loss for Villa but Nakamba has done a decent job in his place. He should be given enough game time to improve and help the team alongside Luiz.
The Frenchman has featured in 20 games so far and is expected to be the first choice in this position.
The captain is the top scorer and top assist provider for Aston Villa this season. He has played a key role in all the games so far and his goals have won them several points. Grealish will be an undoubted start for the rest of the season.
With 4 goals and 4 assists, the Netherlands international will need to be more influential for the team. He has done well so far.
The Tanzanian is a prolific striker and was brought to Villa Park last month on a four-and-a-half-year contract. He has already scored a goal for the English club, having already scored 10 goals in Belgium in the first half of the season.
