Aston Villa have found their stride under Unai Emery, as the Villans continue their form from the 2022/23 campaign into the 2023/24 season in the bid to progress further from the successes of last term.

The former Arsenal boss took charge of Villa almost a year ago in October 2022, changing their trajectory from a struggling relegation-threatened side lacking inspiration, to a squad fuelled with ambition and competing in Europe.

While there is still a long way to go in this campaign and in Emery’s plans for the Midlands club, the Spaniard looks on course to take Villa to highs that haven’t been reached in years at Villa Park, in what is an exciting time for the current squad.

Raising player performance has been a key element to the four-time Europa League winners, with some overlooked squad members becoming star members of the 51-year-old’s side, with the resurgence of John McGinn and Tyrone Mings most notable.

Every club has their blockbuster names and their formidable squad numbers beneath them, with Villa following suit over the years as many players fell in the shadows of the spotlight to Jack Grealish.

Without the work of others in the squads at Villa over the years, Emery wouldn’t be in the position he is now, however some could argue that the Spaniard could be in even better stead if he had the help of one offloaded squad member of the past.

When did Aston Villa sign Trezeguet?

Signed in 2019, winger Trezeguet arrived in the Midlands as a fairly unknown player, joining Dean Smith’s side from Turkish outfit Kasimpasa.

The Villans paid a fee of £8.5m for the Egyptian forward, who had scored nine goals and recorded nine assists in the Super Lig the season prior to his move to England, telling of the threat he could administer in the final third.

Smith described his new acquisition as the “direct” wide player he’d been seeking, explaining that he was a winger that “causes problems” and “scores goals”.

There were some questions over the solidity of the signing, considering that the Villans had just been promoted back to the Premier League from the Championship, as reinforced by journalist Gregg Evans.

Speaking on the 1874 Villa podcast, the Athletic correspondent explained how he first saw Trezeguet as a player that “wasn’t cut out for the Premier League”, an opinion that changed as his game developed at Villa Park.

How many goals did Trezeguet score at Aston Villa?

Like many others, Evans’ views on the Egyptian altered, as he told the 1874 podcast, describing the forward's turnaround as “incredible” as he became a part of the furniture during difficult times at the club.

In his first campaign, the £8.5m signing was drawn into Villa’s battle for survival, as Smith’s side ended the 2019/20 season in 17th with form that highlighted the jump in standard between the second and first tier.

Trezeguet ended his debut term as the Villans’ second-highest scorer in the Premier League, netting six and assisting two in 34 appearances, with only Grealish outscoring him with eight goals.

The strong first impression in the final third, and his desire to work for the team saw the Egyptian settle well into life at Villa Park, however it all came crashing down in his second term, as his form dipped off and injury struck.

The winger netted two goals in the league in the 2020/21 campaign, making his role in the squad more rotational than crucial as he slipped down the pecking order.

In the winter of 2020, Trezeguet missed over 50 days of action due to sustaining a head injury, which was only the beginning of his injury battles that season, as in April 2021, he was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a blow to the knee.

During a fixture against Liverpool, the Egyptian suffered ligament damage to his knee which required surgery.

As a result, the winger was away from activity for a recorded 238 days, returning to the bench in December 2021 before being sent out on loan to rediscover his form and fitness.

Ultimately, his injury marked the end of his time in the Midlands as he was sold after returning from his loan spell at Basaksehir, ending his time at Villa Park having scored nine goals and registered five assists in 64 appearances.

How much did Aston Villa sell Trezeguet for?

In the summer of 2022, Villa sold Trezeguet for a fee of just £3m to Turkish outfit Trabzonspor, ending his three year association with the Midlands club.

While the price he was sold at was a fraction of the £8.5m fee the Villans spent to welcome him to the side, it prevailed to be a good deal for both player and club, as he was given a chance to thrive in Turkey once more while being sold above his market value.

At the time of his sale, Football Transfers documented Trezeguet’s expected transfer value (xTV) at just €2.5 (£2.1m), suggesting that Villa did well to receive £3m for his services from Trabzonspor.

What is Trezeguet doing now?

The 29-year-old remains in the Super Lig today, and continues to showcase his ability for Trabzonspor, as highlighted by his form during his debut campaign.

In the 2022/23 season, while Villa were progressing under Emery, Trezeguet was outperforming the Villans’ talisman, Ollie Watkins.

Throughout the campaign, the former Villans winger scored 13 goals and registered ten assists in all competitions, ending the term with 23 direct goal contributions to cement himself as a key player for his new club.

In England, Watkins secured his highest Premier League goal tally by netting 15, however in all competitions, the Englishman contributed to fewer goals than the 29-year-old, recording 16 goals and six assists in 2022/23.

Watkins vs Trezeguet – 2022/23 league campaigns

Ollie Watkins

Mahmoud Trezeguet

Appearances

37

28

Goals

15

11

Shots on target per game

1.3

1.3

Big chances missed

20

8

Key passes per game

0.8

1.4

Figures via Sofascore

Ending the season with 22 goal contributions, the striker provided one contribution less than the £3m wide player, relaying the sanctuary that the Egyptian has once again found in Turkey.

While Villa fans would much rather have Watkins in their squad, the majority will be happy to see Trezeguet performing so well for Trabzonspor after his injury that ended his career in the Midlands.

From a questionable acquisition under Smith, to a forward with more goal contributions than Watkins, Trezeguet will be remembered at Villa for his strong first season and resilience to start again after his surgery.