Villa offer glimpse into future despite friendly loss
Aston Villa lost 4-2 in a friendly against Real Sociedad, but head coach Unai Emery took encouragement from the performances of several young players ahead of the new season. Teenage striker Brian Madjo impressed with a well-taken equaliser, while other academy prospects also featured heavily, offering a glimpse of Villa's future squad depth as the club deals with a summer of departures and injuries.
Madjo, an England Under-17 international who joined from Metz for £10m in January, cannot yet play competitively for Villa while the club appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over his registration as an under-18 signed outside the EU. At 6ft 4in and likened to Romelu Lukaku, he could provide cover for Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham once eligible. Villa were missing several first-team regulars, including their World Cup contingent and new signings still finalising moves, while goals from Carlos Soler, Orri Oskarsson, Gorka Carrera and Inaki Ruperez secured victory for the La Liga side after George Hemmings had put Villa ahead.
- Aston Villa lost 4-2 to Real Sociedad in a pre-season friendly.
- Teenage striker Brian Madjo impressed but cannot yet play competitively.
- Emery fielded a young side missing many World Cup and injured regulars.
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Aston Villa played a friendly match against Spanish side Real Sociedad, a type of non-competitive match clubs use to prepare for the season and assess their squads. Although Villa lost, the result mattered less than what the match revealed about emerging young players. With several first-team regulars absent through summer transfers and international commitments, the friendly provided an opportunity to evaluate academy prospects.
Teenage striker Brian Madjo was among the young players to impress, scoring in the match. He currently cannot play in Villa's official competitive matches whilst the club works to clear his registration. Once eligible, he could become an important attacking option for the club.
Villa have experienced a summer of departures, injuries and new signings, creating gaps in the squad. Friendly matches allow managers to assess whether academy players can help fill those gaps and develop into senior contributors. The promising displays from younger players suggest the club has squad depth available as it enters the new season.