Marvelous Nakamba set for big things with Aston Villa

The highly-rated Zimbabwean midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has just been signed by the English Premier League club Aston Villa. Nakamba was signed from the Belgian side Club Bruges for an undisclosed fee that's rumoured to be close to £11 million, and it was the 12th signing that Aston Villa have made in a frantic summer transfer period.

The 25 year star will be joined by his Club Bruges teammate Wesley who was signed for a club record fee of £22 million. Aston Villa were promoted to the Premier League after winning the Championship play-offs last season. The club spent over £120 million on new players this summer, and Nakamba is expected to play a key role in the new-look side.

The Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has complemented Nakamba on his possession and mobility, and he will be hoping that the Zimbabwean will continue his strong run of form shown at Club Bruges last season. He proved to be a hit at the Belgian side that he joined in 2017 and was a star player as they won the Belgian league title that season.

However, Nakamba was reportedly unhappy with how he was treated by Club Brugge last season. He failed to report for pre-season training in summer and went on strike in order to force through his move to Aston Villa. Other Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle United were also interested in the midfielder, but it seems that Aston Villa was the perfect fit.

The Zimbabwe international is currently working on his fitness in order to make up for his lack of activity during the preseason. Nakamba has yet to feature in an Aston Villa matchday squad, and given that the team have lost their opening two Premier League matches, they will be needing the midfielder's presence more than ever.

Although fellow Premier League newcomers like Norwich City and Sheffield United have enjoyed relatively good starts to their campaigns, Aston Villa have suffered against in-form teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth. Anybody wishing to wager on Aston Villa's progress can find out more about the betting sites that offer safe and easy ways to bet on Premier League teams.

Nakamba suffered a nasty injury during Zimbabwe's Africa Cup of Nations campaign and hasn't been able to do much training since then. The hip injury sustained against Congo put a dent in his playing time for Club Brugge, but there is real hope that he could find a regular place in the Aston Villa side.

The Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will be hoping that Nakamba shows more of the stunning form displayed during his time at the Dutch football team Vitesse Arnhem. Between 2014 and 2017, the youngster made 67 Eredivisie appearances and clocked up the highest number of ball recoveries in Dutch football.

Prior to this, Nakamba spent two years in France playing football for Nancy. He arrived at the French club in 2012 after making a string of impressive appearances for Bantu Rangers where he first played at the age of just 16.

Even when he was playing for the Hwange local team Highlanders, it was clear that Nakamba offered a huge amount of potential. He quickly settled into the midfield role where he could show strength either in holding the ball up or making swift runs between the boxes.

It's too early to see where Nakamba will fit into the Aston Villa team. The side usually play with three men in midfield with players like Jack Grealish and John McGinn being noted regulars. As Nakamba has a strong record for breaking up play and playing key midfield passes, it seems that there's a natural space for him to play in the heart of the Aston Villa line-up.

The Premier League club face a string of tough matches in the coming weeks. With games against the likes of Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Arsenal in the next month alone, it's going to be interesting to see when Nakamba will get his chance to shine.