Unai Emery delivers Victor Lindelof message and reveals key Aston Villa phone call
Unai Emery has told “brilliant” Victor Lindelof he must maintain his current form for Villa after revealing the crucial phone call which convinced him to sign the defender.
Lindelof is in line to start his seventh straight match for Villa at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night having stepped up after both Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres were ruled out through injury.
Alongside goalkeeper Marco Bizot, the Sweden international has been the most effective of Villa’s summer signings after joining as a free agent on deadline day.
And Emery has now explained how he decided to move for Lindelof after speaking to his former Manchester United team-mate, Juan Mata.
Emery managed Mata at Valencia and said: “He is a fantastic guy and an intelligent guy.
“I called him to speak about the possibility of signing Lindelof. I asked about him as a player, a person, and his commitment.
"Everything he told me, we are watching. Fantastic guy. Very professional. Respectful.
“He was being patient and was first adapting to play on the right side, but after Mings and Pau’s injuries, he played at the level we expected on the left.”
Mings and Torres, who have been absent with hamstring and calf injuries respectively, are close to returning and could even feature on the bench at Palace, as Villa aim to maintain pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Emery said: “I’m so, so happy with how he (Lindelof) is helping us, and I told him he’s set the level here. Now, he can’t get under this level.”
