Aston Villa have just secured a fifth place Premier League finish at the very least this season.
Unai Emery and his side have bigger ambitions, though, as they target a Champions League spot.
Currently in the fourth and final Champions League place, Villa‘s 2-2 draw with Chelsea means they are guaranteed to be playing in the Europa League next season.
They are in a battle with Tottenham for fourth place, but have the upper hand given they are seven points ahead of Spurs; albeit Ange Postecoglou’s side do have two games in hand.
With the Europa Conference League campaign alongside the league – Villa facing Olympiacos in the first leg of the semi-final this week – every member of Emery’s squad has been vital in what could be a historic season.
Clement Lenglet is no different, with the French defender now revealing in an interview with Gianluca Di Marzio why he chose to join Villa last summer.
Monchi influential in Clement Lenglet joining Aston Villa
Lenglet is a Barcelona player but spent last season on loan at the side Villa are battling with for top four in Tottenham.
The 28-year-old has made 160 Barca appearances according to Transfermarkt but has fallen out of favour at the Catalan club, meaning he was allowed to seek regular football elsewhere in the summer.
That led to the defender signing on a season-long loan at Villa and Lenglet revealed in the interview posted on GianlucaDiMarzio.com that the Villans’ president of football operations, Monchi, was pivotal in the deal.
Lenglet explained: “Monchi was very important to me. When I was 17 and playing for Nancy, he tried to bring me with him. At the time, it wasn’t possible, so he tried again in 2017, and I signed with Sevilla.
“Last summer, he called me again: he said Aston Villa needed a defender, and I followed. I have great admiration for what he has done and is doing.”
Lenglet labels Unai Emery one of world’s best
Whilst it was Monchi’s influence that initially got the ball rolling on the move, the part Emery played in bringing Lenglet to Villa Park should not be understated.
Lenglet told Di Marzio that: “The fact that Unai Emery called me was important in accepting the offer.”
The France international went on to speak of how highly he rates his manager, saying: “He’s very competitive, has great experience. He built a great project last year, and we follow him every day.
“The club is very happy with his work: he’s one of the best coaches in the world. Competing in the Premier League is never easy: when he arrived here, Aston Villa was in sixteenth place, now we’re fighting to reach the Champions League. His impact has been magnificent”.
Lenglet has been a useful member of the squad this season, making 13 Premier League appearances.
Emery has utilised the former Sevilla man’s experience of European football in the Europa Conference League, handing Lenglet six starts in the competition.
Whether Lenglet will stay at the club beyond this summer remains to be seen, but he has proved he can be a reliable player when called upon.
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