A fresh-looking Aston Villa side will emerge under Unai Emery this season.
Tuesday’s 4-2 loss against Real Sociedad will have frustrated their demanding head coach, although he still has ample time to sharpen the Europa League champions before the new season begins.
With Brian Madjo, George Hemmings and Modou Cisse all expected to remain involved with the squad, the meeting with the Spanish side offered several encouraging signs to build upon.
One of those positives was the performance of teenage forward Madjo.
Villa continue to wait for a decision on their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which concerns their attempt to register the England Under-17 international. He arrived from Metz for £10m in January and will not celebrate his 18th birthday until next January.
International transfers involving players under 18 are generally prohibited, but Villa maintain that Madjo should qualify for an exception because he was born in London, even though he has made three appearances for Luxembourg.
Certain exceptions allow young players to move between countries, including transfers involving 16 or 17-year-olds within the European Union, which no longer includes the UK.
Standing 6ft 4in tall, Madjo has already drawn comparisons with Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku. His straightforward equaliser in the 56th minute made the score 2-2 and highlighted his natural poacher’s instinct.
His strength and physical presence caused persistent problems for Sociedad’s defenders. With Ollie Watkins still resting after England’s World Cup campaign and Tammy Abraham recovering from a shoulder problem, Madjo has an opportunity to make his mark.
Although he is currently unable to represent Villa in competitive fixtures, supporters may see the imposing youngster introduced to the Premier League in the new year, or sooner if the club’s appeal succeeds.
Villa remain interested in adding another striker, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson among their leading options. However, Madjo gives Emery a promising talent whom he can develop away from intense attention before handing him a prominent role.
Further improvement is required, however, and the Villa manager spent much of the opening half speaking to himself and his staff, frequently standing with his hands on his hips or gesturing animatedly.
Emery appeared to have trouble conveying his instructions to Madjo and 19-year-old midfielder Hemmings, as neither consistently carried out his request to move into wider positions.
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