Stiliyan Petrov, a former midfield player who spent extended periods of time at both Villa and Celtic and made a total of 523 appearances, feels that the two teams should make a trade in January.
Despite the Villans’ current success in the Premier League and Champions League, Petrov believes that additional firepower wouldn’t hurt. Maeda and Kyogo, who have directly contributed to four and five goals respectively in Celtic’s opening seven Scottish Premiership matches this season, are two players Petrov thinks would suit Villa to a T.
“There’s not one, there’s quite a few,” Petrov responded when asked which Celtic player Unai Emery need to be keeping an eye on. Listen, Celtic are playing pretty well right now, but Maeda or Kyogo are the two players I would most likely prefer to watch.
“Maeda is amazing with his speed, enthusiasm, and ability to press and push full backs. Most likely among the best football plays I’ve ever seen. Additionally, Kyogo is a very talented striker who possesses a high level of class. His biggest accomplishment is his ability to score goals.
With players like Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, and Jhon Duran playing so well, it seems unlikely that either forward would break into Villa’s starting lineup right now. Nevertheless, Emery definitely wouldn’t turn down more legs and goals, especially considering how busy the schedule will be under the new UEFA Champions League format.
Maeda, 26 and Kyogo, 29, have a current combined transfer value of €21.5 million (£18 million) as per Transfermarkt.
