Emery was evidently impressed with Morgan Rogers, the former Middlesbrough talent who showcased notable performances in the first half of the Championship season with two goals and six assists. Despite Gio Reyna’s lack of goal contributions in his 14 appearances for Borussia Dortmund this season, with only two starts, it’s important to note that he was recovering from an injury during this period.
In comparing Reyna and Rogers with their positional peers, Reyna stands out significantly. Over the past year in the Men’s Big Five Leagues and European competitions, Reyna ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, assists, shot-creating actions, and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90. He also ranks in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, showcasing a versatile set of attacking skills for Dortmund.
On the other hand, Rogers falls short in comparison, failing to rank in the top 20% of his peers in most metrics, except for touches in the opposition penalty area, where he places in the top 16%.
Reyna, valued at €22.6m (£19m), joined Nottingham Forest on loan, and the suggestion is that Villa might have benefited from making a more decisive effort to sign him permanently. Lucien Favre, Reyna’s former manager at Dortmund, praised the youngster for having “something special,” and a fresh start in England could potentially see him return to his best form.
The article concludes that if Reyna excels in the remaining months of the season, Emery might regret not signing him, considering Reyna’s potential peak performance compared to Rogers. The possibility is raised that Villa may have made a late error in the transfer window.