Who is Samuel Iling-Junior? Aston Villa’s new winger arrives from Juventus as part of Douglas Luiz deal

​

€14m transfer fee 

Aston Villa’s decision to sell star midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus for €51.5 million may have come as a shock to many people. The Brazilian enjoyed a superb season as Villa clinched a fourth place finish to bring Champions League football to Villa Park next season. However, the move is largely thought to have been a necessity in order for the club to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules. Nevertheless, there’s reason to be excited for Villa fans too, as in exchange, a day later, the club completed the double signing of winger Samuel Iling-Junior and midfielder Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus for a combined fee of €22m. And Iling-Junior could certainly be one to keep an eye on.

The 20-year-old Englishmen has joined for a fee of €14m plus €3m in possible add-ons, and he’s no stranger to English football. Iling-Junior was part of Chelsea’s academy for nine years before joining Juventus’ youth team aged 17. He made his senior debut for the ‘Old Lady’ in May 2022, and has since scored two goals in 45 appearances for the Turin club, whilst also featuring for the England U21 side. Born and raised in London, Iling-Junior made the decision to leave Chelsea in the summer of 2020. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs queued up to sign him, but it was Juventus who succeeded in their pursuit. With the help of Tranfermarkt’s expert insight from Italy, we bring you more on Iling-Junior.

Iling-Junior starred for Juventus U23’s before first-team manager Massimiliano Allegri brought him into the senior set-up. His Serie A debut was made in October 2022 and was quickly followed by an appearance in the Champions League, which he marked with an assist. Aniello Luciano is part of Transfermarkt’s team in Italy, and tells us more about the type of player Iling-Junior has been in Turin: “Having grown up at Chelsea, Iling-Junior is clearly a product of English football and embodies some of the skillset required in the Premier League such as intensity, changes of pace, and unpredictability on the ball. He is a strong and fast attacking winger, capable of changing direction quickly and in a short space of time.” 

After playing 27 times in the 2023/24 season, Iling-Junior departs Juventus having made 45 appearances in all competitions for the Italian giants. Luciano explains more about his development in Italy, “In Italy he has improved his skills in the defensive phase a lot and has become more attentive to team balance. Nevertheless, he is still at his best when he can unleash his creativity, dribbling and looking for shooting opportunities high up the pitch.”

The perhaps crowning moment of Iling-Junior’s time in Northern Italy came last May when Juventus faced Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final, and he played the full 90 minutes as Juve won the cup. He was deployed on the left-hand side of midfield in a 3-5-2 formation, highlighting his versatility. It wasn’t all plane-sailing for the 20 year old in Italy however, which could potentially be behind why Juventus were willing to let him go. “In Allegri’s Juventus he did not quite manage to make the impact that was hoped after the first few positive matches. He often seemed a one-dimensional player, and was prone to making mistakes.” Luciano added. “He is young though, and has a lot of room for growth and possesses superb athletic ability.”

It will be interesting to see how he fits in to Unai Emery’s system at Villa next season. With the club now being in the Champions League there will likely need to be a lot of rotation meaning Iling-Junior will get opportunities to showcase his ability. Morgan Rogers who came in last January aged 20 from Middlesbrough played 11 Premier League games in the second half of the season, suggesting Emery has no issues chucking in youngsters if he thinks they are ready. Iling-Junior will be hoping to make a similar impact.