Mbwana Samatta: What does the season hold?

Aston Villa's approach to fortifying their squad upon their return to the Premier League was cavalier, to say the least.

Eager to consolidate and stay in the division, Dean Smith set about spending in excess of £100m on 17 signings, including the likes of Douglas Luiz, Matt Targett, Tyrone Mings, Marvelous Nakamba and Trezeguet among others.

The headline acquisition, however, was striker Wesley, who came in from Belgian champions Club Brugge for £23 million. The expectation was that the 22-year-old Brazilian would smooth over the departure of Tammy Abraham, who had returned to parent club Chelsea following a successful 26-goal loan spell at Villa Park in their promotion campaign.

That projection would, however, prove misguided. Aston Villa struggled for goals in the Premier League, and after scoring four in his opening eight games, Wesley would not score another until the turn of the year.

A further complication arose when, after breaking his duck in a 2-1 win over Burnley on New Year's Day, he suffered a serious injury to his cruciate ligament on account of a tackle by Clarets defender Ben Mee. The diagnosis was swift and brutal: he would miss at least nine months as a result. Shorn of their no. 9, it became imperative for Aston Villa to once more enter the market for a goalscorer to carry their survival hopes.

They elected to return to Belgium, this time signing Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta for £9.6m from Genk.

Genk.

Story of last season

By the time Samatta finally got his move to the big time, the sense was that it was long overdue.

In four seasons at Genk, the former Tout Puissant Mazembe hotshot scored 76 goals in 191 appearances. That 42 of those came in his final 18 months in Belgium suggested a striker starting to come into his own, and a towering header against Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League in 2019 perhaps strengthened Aston Villa's belief they had settled on the right man.

That the man nicknamed 'Samagoal' scored on league debut seemed to banish any lingering doubts, but that would prove his only contribution to Villa's battle against the drop. For all his endeavour, there seemed a pronounced deficit in quality, and Smith's style did not exactly lend itself to putting crosses into the sort of areas in which Samatta usually thrives.

It is also no surprise that, having played his best football in Belgium as part of a strike pairing, he struggled greatly when tasked with playing upfront on his own.

In all competitions, he only managed two goals in 16 appearances, and even though two wins in their final 15 league games of the season was enough to keep Villa up, it was clear by the end that he simply was not fit for purpose.

The club's response has been to once again look to the market, but this time domestically. Ollie Watkins, signed from Brentford after an impressive season that saw him finish as the Championship's second-highest scorer, arrived this summer for £27.5m, and is expected to lead the line for Aston Villa in 2020/21.

Aston Villa.

Any transfer rumours?

Turkish side Fenerbahce have been linked with a move for Samatta, with reports even suggesting a loan deal has been agreed between the two clubs for his departure.

Local rivals West Bromwich Albion are also in need of a striker, and are also reported to have been in contact with Aston Villa with a view to gazumping Fenerbahce.

One hope for 2020/21

There is no gainsaying the fact Samatta needs a transfer to happen before the window closes. While moving to the Premier League will have been the culmination of a life-long dream for him, and threw Tanzanian Twitter into a frenzy, it has clearly not worked out for him.

Some of that is to not his fault, obviously. The hardest situation for a forward to come into, especially in an unfamiliar league, is a relegation battle with a squad suffering a crisis of confidence. It may be impossible to overlook the obvious – the level is clearly beyond his capabilities – but ultimately the decision to bring him in was made by the club.

There is, however, still a fine striker in there still, and his record at Genk indicates he is well capable of finding his feet again within the right environment and with the right service. A side like Fenerbahce, competing at the top of Turkish football, would no doubt provide him with better service.

Getty Images

One fear for 2020/21

Smith has apparently made it clear the Tanzania striker does not feature in his plans, so it would be far from optimal for him to remain at Villa.

As is, Watkins will start the season as first-choice, with youngster Keinan Davis deputizing. Wesley is projected to return to action by the end of the year, and so if Samatta remains at Villa Park, he could realistically find himself in a situation where he is fourth in the striker pecking order. That would be the worst possible outcome in the circumstance.

Goal's prediction for the season

All things considered, it seems impossible to envision Samatta sticking around in England.

The likeliest outcome, which is also the most favourable for him, would be a transfer to Fenerbahce. Turkey tends to be kind to forwards, and while he did not cut it in the Premier League, he clearly still has too much quality for the Super Lig.