Alan Shearer incredibly impressed by £13m player who Aston Villa got rid of this summer

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It’s fair to say that Aston Villa’s transfer team were rather busy this summer, welcoming no less than eight players to Villa Park.

Thus far, Amadou Onana has made the biggest impact for Unai Emery at Villa, the club’s biggest outlay of the summer.

Otherwise, Ian Maatsen is still biding his time on the bench, partly because of Lucas Digne’s strong start to the new season.

Ross Barkley and Jaden Philogene are also just being used as back-up right now – two players who may be targeting minutes in the Champions League.

That being said, for all these arrivals, players also had to leave Emery’s project, one or two names that will be missed.

Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz were the high-profile exits, but Villa also said goodbye to Alex Moreno who joined Nottingham Forest on loan with an option to buy.

Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno praised for pocketing Mohamed Salah at Anfield

31-year-old Moreno was a crucial performer for Emery at times last season, the Spaniard was often preferred to Digne for his stellar one versus one defending.

And those attributes were on display for all to see at Anfield during Moreno’s first league start for Nottingham Forest last weekend.

READ MORE: National media now criticise £42m player for display on full debut after leaving Aston Villa

Alan Shearer included the £13m defender in his Team of the Week after Forest’s impressive 1-0 win.

He wrote: “Brilliant on his first league start for his new club, subduing Mohamed Salah, who had been unstoppable until now!”

Perhaps Villa may miss Moreno’s defending across the season, but Emery clearly has faith in Digne and Maatsen to complement each other – two players with predominantly attacking instincts.

Jhon Duran deserves to start against Young Boys

Of all the selection headaches Emery has before facing Young Boys in the Champions League, perhaps there’s no one pushing for a start more than Jhon Duran.

The Colombian has scored some sensational goals from the bench thus far this season, a player who is brimming with confidence in his own talent.

And whether it means moving Morgan Rogers to the wing or handing Ollie Watkins a rest, Duran deserves to start.

Duran has the potential to go beyond Watkins at Villa – a bold statement but one he’s beginning to prove.

And it would be incredibly rewarding for Villa fans were Emery able to effectively manage to play both in a balanced eleven.