Villa manager Unai Emery is not only aiming to participate but also to make a significant impact, as he has with other underdog teams in the competition.

For example, his Villarreal team reached the semifinals in 2021/22, where he eliminated giants like Juventus and Bayern Munich and were unlucky not to get to the final.

Emery will need experienced players to help lighten the load, and one option available on the market is Jack Grealish, a former fan favourite at Villa Park.

The fans would love to have him back. Although he hasn’t said it publicly, Grealish has not lived up to his potential since joining Manchester City for a record fee. He was even left out of the England squad for the Euros, that would have hurt him.

Now aged 28 years old, Grealish was once considered a generational talent when he was coming through, but he has become a rotational player at City, where he rarely gets a consistent starting spot and his creativity has been stifled.

His days at the club seem numbered, but the English champions are known for securing sizable compensation for their players. They might be open to a left-footed winger to cover the void left by Mahrez on the right side, especially as Pep Guardiola looks to move Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden centrally.

A proposed swap deal involving Jack Grealish and Jamaican Leon Bailey could be advantageous for both sides.

Emery, known for his successful use of a 4-4-2 formation with a free-role attacker alongside a traditional number 9, could pair Grealish in a free role next to Ollie Watkins, creating an ideal partnership to challenge opponents in both the Premier League and the Champions League this season.

Grealish would be free from the restrictive system at the Etihad, which has stifled his creativity, and return to a place where he was previously loved. Villa Park already boasts the promising winger Samuel Iling Jr. from Juventus, who could fill the right midfield void if Bailey leaves for Manchester City.

Bailey has shown that with trust and proper guidance, he can become a formidable player. Few managers in the world are as adept at developing players as Guardiola. Bailey could definitely benefit from playing under a manager like him.