Emery reveals Mata's role in Lindelöf's Villa Park success story
How a phone call to Juan Mata helped Unai Emery secure Victor Lindelöf on a free transfer, with the Swedish defender now proving crucial in Aston Villa's surprise title challenge.
Aston Villa’s remarkable season has them sitting third in the Premier League, just five points behind Arsenal, and one of their unsung heroes has emerged from an unlikely source.
Mata’s golden recommendation
Unai Emery has revealed that Juan Mata played a crucial role in bringing Victor Lindelöf to Villa Park on a free transfer last summer. The Spanish manager, who previously coached Mata at Valencia, reached out to his compatriot 3-4 years ago to inquire about the Swedish defender.
“Juan is a fantastic guy, very intelligent,” Emery explained in a recent press conference. He sought Mata’s assessment of Lindelöf both as a player and as a person, having been teammates at Manchester United.
The recommendation has proven spot on, with Emery declaring: “Everything he told me, we’re seeing now.”
From bench warmer to defensive linchpin
Lindelöf’s Villa career started quietly - he played just 25 minutes across the first 15 league matches. However, injuries to Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres forced Emery’s hand, and the Swede has now started six consecutive Premier League games.
The 29-year-old defender has been absolutely mustard for the Villans:
- His ball distribution has been impeccable
- Against Crystal Palace, he completed all 85 passes he attempted
- No Premier League player had achieved 100% pass accuracy with that many passes since Aymeric Laporte in February 2022
New standards set
After two seasons of limited playing time at Manchester United (1,225 minutes in 2024-25 and 1,960 in 2023-24), Lindelöf is thriving in his new environment.
Emery isn’t letting the defender rest on his laurels, though. The gaffer has already laid down the challenge: “You’ve set a very high level, now you can’t lower it.”
For Villa fans, the free transfer is looking like the best bit of business since Adam and Eve. What initially seemed like a squad depth signing has transformed into a key component of their surprising title challenge.