Comment: Aston Villa’s revamp has been built on sound planning

A frenetic nine weeks since the play-off final victory over Derby has seen, at least at the time of writing, 10 new players come through the door at a combined cost of more than £100million, with the likelihood of another two or three more to follow before the transfer window closes on August 8.

It is a spending spree which has drawn comparisons with Fulham’s disastrous 2018 splurge as inevitable as they are unfair.

With a host of senior players out of contract, this summer was always going to be a rebuilding job for Villa, no matter which division they found themselves playing.

The fact it has been done preparing for a Premier League return has merely increased the profile and the sums involved.

There has certainly been method amid the madness. Villa wasted little time in securing permanent deals for three of last season’s loan stars, Anwar El Ghazi, Kortney Hause and – most crucially – Tyrone Mings.

Winger Jota and centre-back Ezri Konsa are already familiar to Dean Smith, having previously played under the Villa boss at Brentford. Matt Targett, a £11.5million buy from Southampton, will provide long-needed strength in depth at left-back, as will French full-back Frederic Guilbert on the other flank.

Considerably less is known about Bjorn Engels, Trezeguet and in particular Wesley, the Brazilian striker who has joined from Club Brugge for a club record £22million fee.

Concern might be found in the lack of prior Premier League experience – just 60 appearances split between Mings and Targett with the rest of the new men experiencing England’s top flight for the first time.

Perhaps the £15million signing of Douglas Luiz, from Manchester City, could prove significant. Luiz, the Brazil under-23 captain, should add steel to a midfield still containing Jack Grealish and John McGinn, the duo who provided the heartbeat of last year’s team.

On a positive note, Villa were successful in getting much of their business done early, giving Smith time to try and mould an effective unit from his new-look squad.

Getting everything to gel is a considerable task, if one for which Smith will feel he is well-equipped. The 48-year-old carried out numerous rebuilds at both Walsall and Brentford, though admittedly none quite matched the scale of this.

Villa, there is no doubt, will begin the campaign very much an unknown quantity. We are likely to learn a lot about them, very quickly, courtesy of a fixture list which, an opening day trip to Tottenham, avoids any of the big guns over the opening weeks.

For all the exciting long-term ambitions of billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, in the short-term survival would represent success for a club which must first re-establish itself among the elite before targeting grander goals.

One thing Villa won’t lack is support. The momentum built during the thrilling charge to promotion has transferred into record season ticket sales, with Villa Park likely to be sold out more weeks than not.

Maintaining that feelgood factor for as long as possible, in a campaign likely to feature its share of tough moments, will be another of Smith’s aims.

The Boss

Dean Smith has always been confident in his coaching abilities.

Yet even in his wildest dreams, Villa’s boss could surely not have imagined quite how the past nine months have played out, having taken charge at his boyhood club and leading them to promotion.

Smith’s name might not have been the one right at the top of chief executive Christian Purslow’s list when he began the search for Steve Bruce’s successor last October.

But the 48-year-old proved precisely the right choice, giving a group of talented players fresh energy and direction and – most crucially – holding his nerve during a run from just two wins in 14 matches through December and February which threatened to derail the season.

The experience and skills gained during fine if unheralded spells at Walsall and Brentford came to the fore, as a manager who has taken the long road to the top flight established himself as one of the most promising English bosses in the game.

When it mattered most, Smith got the big calls right, his decision to bestow the captaincy upon Jack Grealish following his return to fitness in early March something of a masterstroke.

The Premier League, of course, represents the toughest challenge yet and it has been made no easier by the amount of rebuilding work required over the course of the summer.

Smith will count on his clear strategy enabling the numerous new faces to gel into an effective unit.

Richard O’Kelly, Neil Cutler and John Terry provide a dependable and trusted backroom team.

Key men

Jack Grealish

For all the new arrivals at Villa Park, it is Grealish who remains the heartbeat of the team.

The 23-year-old’s return from injury in early March was the spark for Villa’s remarkable charge from mid-table obscurity to promotion.

Returning to the Premier League a far more mature and rounded character than the one who left it in 2016, this season offers Grealish the chance to show the biggest stage is where he truly belongs.

Wesley Moraes

None of Villa’s summer signings have captured the imagination quite so much as their new record buy.

The £22million deal for Wesley came out of the blue and he arrives in the Premier League almost a complete unknown, even allowing for his three years with Club Brugge.

How well the 22-year-old, who possesses one of the sport’s more remarkable backgrounds, is able to adapt to the English game will likely be pivotal to Villa’s chances.

Tyrone Mings

There cannot have been many mid-season loan signings whose impact can match that of Mings.

It is not unreasonable to claim Villa would not have been promoted without the 26-year-old centre-back.

Making his move permanent was always going to be one of the club’s top priorities once a return to the Premier League was secured.

Imperious in the Championship, Mings has the chance to prove his quality at the top level.