Rob won’t be rushed as he reshapesVilla squad
ROBERTO Di Matteo wants to have his new-look Villa squad in shape by the end of the month.
The Italian will prioritise departures as he looks to trim down a 30-man group before pressing ahead with more arrivals.
Villa have already signed Pierluigi Gollini, Tommy Elphick and Aaron Tshibola and are pressing ahead with the search of at least one new striker. But it’s moving on some of the unwanted performers that tops Di Matteo’s priority list.
“Ideally I’m looking to go into the week leading up to the first game with roughly the group I would like to be working with for the season,” he said. “At the moment I have a lot of players. I need to focus on outgoings because there’s too many. I’ll give myself another three or four weeks before I make final decisions about who I want to keep or not.”
Di Matteo is taking his time with arrivals in a bid to purchase quality over quantity.
He heavily scrutinised the character of his previous signings and will continue to do so moving forward.
“Before I normally sign a player I look at their personality and decide what they will bring in terms of character,’’ he explained.
“You work together every day and before you have a professional relationship you have a personal one.
“It’s very important to get the right characters and personalities.
“Over the long term, I believe you have a better chance of being successful with the right type of people at the club.”
Di Matteo confirmed his mission to find a new striker will not be rushed. Bristol City’s Jonathan Kodjia is the latest name to be linked following earlier enquiries for Ross McCormack and Patrick Bamford.
No formal bids have been received at Ashton Gate but it appears there is some interest from Villa for the 26-year-old. Other players are under consideration but Di Matteo would not discuss individual names.
“I’ll know when to make my move. I will take my time,” he said. “I’m not in a rush, really. But I think a new fresh face with different qualities is important.”
Villa will look to buy a striker and also dip into the loan market to add another on a temporary basis.
Inevitably there will be departures with Jordan Ayew attracting interest from a number of clubs and Scott Sinclair also appealing to Celtic.
Gabby Agbonlahor and Libor Kozak have to prove to Di Matteo that they can make an impact but Rudy Gestede’s future is safe – he’s expected to play a key role next season.
“We’ve got some strikers with certain attributes but you’re going to have many different opponents throughout the season,” Di Matteo added. “We need someone who can complement that part of the team. I need someone who can help change the game if we need it. When you’re looking at a striker, you want a player who will score you goals. Those are the attributes a striker will have to bring us.”
Since taking over six weeks ago, Di Matteo has stamped his authority on the club and made a number of changes.
Double sessions are still taking place and the manager has issued rules that see all players eat together throughout their time in Austria and back at Bodymoor Heath.
“When you come to a new club you want to get to know all the players and assess them all,’’ he said.
“We’ve only been training for two weeks. I haven’t made my final decisions or opinions. There’s always a few who surprise you. Maybe a couple that disappoint you. It’s a good opportunity to have a look and see how they are.”