The stunning free agent who Aston Villa must move heaven and earth to sign this summer

Youri Tielemans on a free transfer, Pau Torres for £31.5 million, Moussa Diaby for an extra £51.5 million on top of that; Unai Emery has delivered more bombshells at the Villa this summer than a bored Love Island producer.

When the affable Spaniard arrived in the Midlands last October, Aston Villa were on the brink of something humiliating. Now they find themselves on the cusp of something electrifying. Not only did Emery ensure survival for his new club, but he also transformed them into one of the Premier League’s form sides, and guided them to an improbable continental return in the process. You can just imagine Steven Gerrard sat there in his new Saudi Arabian crib like Ben Stiller at the end of Dodgeball, dimly lit by the light of a television playing Sky Sports News and cursing his thriving successor.

Heading into the transfer window, there was intrigue as to the extent to which Emery’s ambitions would be supported by those clutching the pursestrings. Any doubts have since been resoundingly dispelled. They haven’t just spent big, they’ve spent big on players who have widely been linked with some of the most illustrious teams in Europe.

But Villa’s business may not be concluded just yet. In recent days, the Villans have been catapulted into the conversation surrounding free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is still seeking a new club having left Liverpool earlier this summer.

According to an update from Sky Sports, the midfielder is a target for three Premier League clubs, with Villa vying alongside the likes of Brighton and Brentford for his signature, as well as further interest from the MLS, Turkey, Saudi Arabia. For his part, it is suggested that the player himself would ideally like to stay in England were a suitable opportunity to arise.

And as far as opportunities go, they don’t come much more enticing than the one Emery is offering at Villa Park right now. For the first time in a long time, Villa feel turbo-charged. They have the manager, continental platform, and financial means to finally kick on in a way that they have threatened to for a while, and next season could prove to be a significant one in the club’s recent history.

What they do still require, however, is a certain measure of strength in depth. This is where a player like Oxlade-Chamberlain would be ideal. Few forward-thinking players in the country can claim to boast the same level of versatility, or indeed experience of success. Whether it be as a box-to-box midfielder, a creative number 10, or a driving winger, the Ox has done it all and won it all during his time at Anfield.

Injuries have not always been kind, but at 29 he still has plenty left to offer, and a schemer as astute as Emery will surely know that. As an impact substitute, or a rotational presence who can push for a regular starting berth in multiple positions, Oxlade-Chamberlain would be an asset to any club of Villa’s ilk.

And then there is the price tag, or lack thereof. Spending a decent amount of money to lure the Champions League winner to the Midlands would be a smart idea; spending absolutely nothing to do so feels like an irrefutable no-brainer. There is a reason why the likes of Brighton and Brentford - two sides lauded for the canniness of their recruitment strategies - are also sniffing around the free agent.

This feels, then, like that most pleasing of things; a potential transfer that could suit everybody involved. For Oxlade-Chamberlain, joining Villa would give him the chance to stay in the Premier League by signing for a club who are currently on a steep upwards trajectory. For Villa, bringing in the former Liverpool man would only help them continue on that promising path.

Assuming that their reported interest is indeed genuine, the Villans should move heaven and earth to make it happen.