Steven Gerrard has a plan for Birmingham. The second largest city in England, with about 1.2 million inhabitants, has not lifted a title for more than 21 years. Too many for Aston Villa, who won the Intertoto in 2001 and has suffered more than necessary in the Premier League. A competition that has won seven times -the last in 1981-, and where they want to be protagonists again.
The first step has already been taken and the landing of Nassef Sawiris (the second richest African in the world) and Wes Edens (an American billionaire) as new owners in 2018 guaranteed a fluid investment in Villa, which in the past summer market managed to sell Jack Grealish for 117 million euros to Manchester City. That was the most expensive transfer of an English player in history and another economic injection for the club, which entrusted Gerrard with its new sports project.
This is how Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho landed last winter, who raised the level in the villains. But Gerrard already had good players: Emiliano Martínez is a sober goalkeeper, Tyrone Mings is positioned as one of the central defenders with the best conditions in the Premier, Matty Cash accumulates suitors for his work on the right wing, Douglas Luiz is the leader in the midfield, Jacob Ramsey has ceased to be a promise to become a reality also in midfield, Emiliano Buendía drives dizzyingly down the flank and Watkins is the reference for the attacks.
With all of them, Gerrard escaped relegation from the Premier and finished in 14th position this season, although his next goal is to touch Europe, and Aston Villa already has experience (in 1982 they were the European Cup champions). For this reason, the villains have continued with their expansive investment strategy and have already hired three top-level players, waiting for Luis Suárez, who has been released after two courses at Atlético de Madrid. The Uruguayan would be the finishing touch to a few frantic days in the Aston Villa offices, which has announced the signings of Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Philippe Coutinho (who was already on loan at Villa, but has now become a property player).