With 11 major trophies to his name and a reputation as one of Europe’s best coaches, Unai Emery’s observations on the game are always worth remembering.
Rather than pace, technique, speed or balance, the Aston Villa boss prizes versatility over every other quality. That is why he urged Villa to sign a Middlesbrough fringe player in January 2024, based on a handful of viewings. Less than two years later, Morgan Rogers is one of the most valuable wide attackers in Europe.
Thanks to the dizzying output of players like Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski, as well as Alexander Isak, Mateo Retegui and Viktor Gyokeres, the traditional No9 is alive and well. Yet gone are the days when the centre-forward was the first name on the team sheet.
At Barcelona, the player Hansi Flick cannot do without is not Lewandowski, but Lamine Yamal, still only 17 but probably the best player in the world. Liverpool were prepared to pay the 33-year-old Mohamed Salah a stratospheric salary to keep him.
In the Champions League Final, Paris Saint-Germain did not field an orthodox central striker. They still beat Inter Milan 5-0.
From Yamal to Desire Doue and Rogers, not forgetting Raphinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Vinicius Junior, clubs go wild for wide men. If they can operate on either flank, so much the better. The ability to make and take chances at speed means these players can be unstoppable at their best.
Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson is attracting interest from several Premier League clubs
The 21-year-old is currently playing in the Under 21 European Championship with England
Hutchinson is grateful to Ipswich for giving him the game time he craved after leaving Chelsea
Which brings us to the current English market. Rogers is admired by both Chelsea and Arsenal but it is hard to imagine Aston Villa even considering offers that do not break records. He is one of many examples of the value that exists outside the top flight – and now Ipswich attacker Omari Hutchinson could be the next to prove it.
Bigger clubs are lurking. Mail Sport understands Hutchinson is a target for Everton, with Brentford, West Ham and Fulham also monitoring his progress along with Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
He is likely to draw scouts and interested observers to Channel4 for England Under-21s in their European Championship semi-final against the Netherlands on Wednesday and is thought to be valued at about £30m. That’s the price Ipswich drew when selling Liam Delap to Chelsea last month. They could be ready to listen to the highest bidder for Hutchinson.
While the forward is grateful to Ipswich for improving him and giving him the opportunities he craved after leaving Chelsea for first team football, it is believed the 21-year-old would like to continue testing himself at the highest level.
Whether in the Premier League or in another country, Hutchinson feels ready for European football – and the data from his displays last term is impressive. Across Europe’s top-five leagues, only Florian Wirtz and Doue completed more dribbles last season.
Wirtz has just joined Liverpool for a British record £116m while Doue was the breakout star of PSG’s Champions League triumph. Hutchinson managed 95 successful dribbles, the same as Morgan Rogers, who has performed brilliantly for Emery in the last 18 months.
Having already proved himself in the Championship, Hutchinson showed last season he could deliver against high-profile opponents, with goals against Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. Yet there is work to do: three goals and two assists are not going to blow the house down, and Hutchinson needs to improve his finishing and decision-making in key areas.
Jarrod Bowen is an intriguing comparison to make here. David Moyes brought Bowen to West Ham from Hull in January 2020 and turned him into a proven Premier League performer at West Ham. Back for a second spell at Everton, it is tempting to wonder whether Moyes can repeat the trick with Hutchinson.
In Europe’s top-five leagues, only Desire Doue (middle) and Florian Wirtz (right) completed more dribbles than Hutchinson last season
David Moyes, now in charge of Everton who are interested in Hutchinson, brought Jarrod Bowen to West Ham from Hull in January 2020
Hutchinson’s data suggests he will be a long-term project but several clubs are ready to invest
Comparing their first full seasons in the Premier League, most of the numbers are in Bowen’s favour – but the England international was 23 when he joined West Ham and had played 141 senior matches. Hutchinson had managed only 60 before last season.
The Hammers back then were also much stronger than 2024-25 Ipswich: they finished sixth with 65 points in 2020-21, qualifying for the Europa League, while Ipswich were 19th with 22 last term and were relegated.
Kieran McKenna is a fine judge of a footballer and believed in Hutchinson both in the Championship and in the Premier League. And while Hutchinson’s data suggests he would be a long-term project rather than a player to transform an attack immediately, the raw material is undoubtedly there.
As clubs start to realise that Premier League-ready centre-forwards are both very rare and very expensive, they look to see who is waiting in the wings. Hutchinson is one of many desperate to take his chance.