With Aston Villa anticipating the departure of their captain at the time Fabian Delph to Manchester City back in the summer of 2015, the club quickly moved for midfielder Idrissa Gueye.
Gueye, a Senegal international playing his football in Ligue 1 with Lille, was relatively unknown at the time, making his transfer to Villa Park one that was not met with much excitement, especially with Delph heading for the exit door.
@AVFCOfficial Is that meant to help soften the blow of our Captain leaving, because believe me it doesn't!!! Admit or deny the rumours fgs!
— villarich /// (@villarich1982) July 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/avfc_johnson/status/619566231096545280
https://twitter.com/Leafs1201/status/619783621977722880
https://twitter.com/villastevep/status/619568968848773122
@AVFCOfficial yeah, because that makes it all better #PRMachine #Treatuslikemugs
— Andrew Millington (@MillingtonVilla) July 10, 2015
@AVFCOfficial desperation to try and take the edge of Delph going. Tell us what your plans are
— Simon Brennan (@Simon92658720) July 10, 2015
@AVFCOfficial great never heard of him , probably another French second division . what is happening with our club
— Simon Brennan (@Simon92658720) July 10, 2015
Given his status as club captain and the amount of influential performances he put in, the Aston Villa faithful were always going to be disappointed with Delph leaving, while the 28-year-old’s last minute U-turn after initially indicating he was willing to stay at Villa Park did no one any favours.
All in all, on the surface, Gueye’s signing looked a very underwhelming one — but that turned out to be far from the case.
The season Delph left and Gueye arrived, Aston Villa were relegated, of course. However, Gueye was probably the team’s standout player, earning comparisons with the brilliant N’Golo Kante upon his eventual move to Everton following the Villans relegation to the Championship.
In the middle of the park, the former Lille man is a tenacious individual, obsessed with putting in tackles and breaking down opposition attacks.
While he was not at the club for long, Gueye has proven to be one of the better signings Aston Villa have made in recent years. The Everton man is of the quality the Villans will need to stay up in the Premier League if they ever make a return to the summit of English football.
