Aston Villa have enjoyed an excellent start to the 2023/24 campaign and are continuing to thrive under Unai Emery's management after a successful debut season at the club.
The Villans have only lost one of their last eight matches in all competitions and are currently in the race to secure a top four finish in the Premier League.
They are sitting in fifth place as it stands and two points off Arsenal in fourth after 11 matches, whilst they are also top of their Europa Conference League group with three wins out of four games.
Villa have won seven of their 11 top-flight clashes so far during the 2023/24 campaign but their fantastic form does not mean that Emery and sporting director Monchi will not look to the January transfer window to make further additions to the squad.
One player who has been touted with a possible switch to Villa Park at the start of 2024 is Brondby attacking midfielder Nicolai Vallys, who has caught the eye this season.
Aston Villa transfer news – Nicolai Vallys
Last month, according to Ekstra Bladet, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa were credited with an interest in the talented Danish attacker ahead of the January window.
The report claimed that fellow English sides Manchester United and Southampton, who are currently competing in Championship, are also eyeing up the forward.
All three clubs are said to have sent scouts to check in on his progress during the 2023/24 campaign, whilst European outfits VfL Wolfsburg, Real Betis, Marseille, and PSV Eindhoven have also been in attendance to watch him in the flesh.
However, the outlet did cast doubt over whether or not any of the interested parties would be willing to splash out millions on a player who recently turned 27, although there is no mention of how much Brondby would demand for the experienced gem.
It also remains to be seen if Monchi and Villa are willing to press ahead with an official offer for his services in January after going to watch him in action this season.
Monchi could, however, secure a potential upgrade for Emery's side if he is able to secure a deal for the 27-year-old wizard as the Villans target could be a dream upgrade on loanee Nicolo Zaniolo.
Villa signed the attacking midfielder on a season-long loan from Turkish giants Galatasaray and he has failed to catch the eye in a positive way so far this season.
He arrived in England off the back of a return of five goals and zero assists in ten Super Lig outings for his parent club throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Zaniolo's statistics this season
The former Roma starlet has not displayed a knack for scoring goals or showcased his creative ability in his time with the Villans so far this term.
He has been unable to deliver quality at the top end of the pitch and has done little to suggest that Monchi should be looking to sign him on a permanent basis at the end of the campaign.
In the Premier League, Zaniolo has been given plenty of opportunities to impress by Emery as he has started six matches and played nine in total.
However, the 24-year-old lightweight has failed to produce a single goal or assist in any of those matches and is yet to create any 'big chances' for his teammates. The Italian is also not able to blame anyone else for his lack of goals as he has missed two 'big chances' and accrued 1.45 xG.
Alongside his struggles in the final third, Zaniolo has also failed to use his 6 foot 3 frame to outmuscle opposition players as the Galatasaray loanee has lost 67% of his duels and 64% of his aerial battles across those nine games.
The Europa Conference League has not been a happier hunting ground for the left-footed attacker as he has zero goals, zero assists, and zero 'big chances' created in four outings, including two starts, in the competition.
A duel success rate of 36% in Europe also shows that the attacking midfielder has not been able to impose his physicality on the opposition domestically or in European competitions for Villa so far this season.
These statistics show that Zaniolo is not providing the side with quality in or out of possession as he has not been able to contribute with goals or assists, at all let alone regularly, and has allowed opponents to get the better of him far too often.
Therefore, there could be scope to improve the team in January by bringing in a player to take up his minutes and, hopefully, make more of an impact at the top end of the pitch during the second half of the season.
The statistics that show why Vallys could be an upgrade on Zaniolo
The 27-year-old gem, who was hailed as "unique" by his boss Jesper Sorensen, is yet to play in one of Europe's major leagues but his performances for Brondby this season suggest that the potential is there for him to be an exciting addition.
Vallys came into the current campaign off the back of a return of eight goals and nine assists in 30 Superliga outings throughout the 2022/23 term.
The attacking midfielder, who can also play out wide, has already matched that goal tally after 14 league matches for his club so far this season.
He has also showcased his creative quality with four 'big chances' provided for his teammates and 1.4 key passes per game, which has resulted in two assists so far.
These statistics suggest that Vallys has the potential to provide more quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a number ten position in comparison to the current Villans flop.
Whilst the 6 foot 2 maestro is not a man mountain by any stretch, his 45% duel success rate this term is more impressive than Zaniolo's aforementioned lack of strength for Villa.
Therefore, the Brondby star could offer more physicality to go along with his potentially superior attacking play, if he can adapt to English football and hit the ground running in 2024.
This is why Monchi should look to strike a deal for Vallys as his impressive statistics this season suggest that he could be a dream upgrade on Zaniolo.