Aston Villa have been sorely lacking creativity this season, however, with the appointment of Unai Emery, there seemed to have been a resurgence of sorts before the World Cup halted domestic play.

Just two wins on the spin for the Midlands outfit helped propel them from nearby the relegation spots to 12th, such is the tightness of the bottom half of the table.

There will be hope that once this break is over that they can recapture this form to continue their resurgence, with some January additions sure to help that process.

One man who has earned recent links is Turkish international Hakan Calhanoglu, who has starred for Inter Milan of late, which would have undoubtedly caught Emery's eye.

With reports touting both the Villans and Arsenal for his signature, it could prove a pivotal transfer race that will culminate in an expected fee of €30m (£25.7m).

With Philippe Coutinho having disappointed for some time now, the 28-year-old could act as a revitalised version who might form a remarkable partnership with Emiliano Buendia on the flanks.

Having initially starred as an inverted winger on the left, this season for the Italian giants he has been deployed in a more conservative central midfield role, confirming him as an “intelligent player” who is “a leader on the pitch”.

However, he has not allowed his creativity to be stifled, as he still boasts eight goal contributions across both the Serie A and Champions League, looking to build upon his eight-goal and 13-assist haul last season.

Should he make the move to Villa Park, he would offer immense versatility and a silkiness that will have fans quickly forgetting about Coutinho.

To boast these numbers from midfield, pushing him up the pitch and pairing him with Buendia could form a frightening wide presence given their respective abilities.

Calhanoglu has become one of the most productive players in Europe of late, and as such sits at the top of most metrics for his position.

The £153k-per-week dynamo ranks in the top 1% for assists and shot-creating actions, and the top 6% for total shots. Meanwhile, his Argentinian counterpart ranks in the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.

With Danny Ings having also hit goalscoring form since the departure of Steven Gerrard, having scored four in his last four, this potential addition would surely send his exploits in front of goal to another level.

Never before in his career would he have boasted such incredible service, and he could finally ignite his career at Villa Park as the spearhead of this front three.

Despite the fee touted, this could even prove to be a coup, should Calhanoglu translate his form into the Premier League.