Count them in -- one, two, three, four new signings confirmed at Villa in the past few days. With the kick-off to the 2015-16 Premier League season now just a week away, Tim Sherwood has been involved in a blur of transfer activity and his squad looks a great deal stronger as a result.
Striker Jordan Ayew was swiftly followed by versatile Spanish defender Jose Angel Crespo, while a frenzied Friday saw Nantes midfielder Jordan Veretout and Blackburn forward Rudy Gestede officially confirmed as arrivals. That doesn't seem to be the end of Sherwood's spending either; a loan deal for Emmanuel Adebayor has reportedly been close to completion for the best part of a week and the manager also wants further defensive reinforcements, possibly a winger too. An overhaul was expected; the Villa manager is verging on ripping out half of the squad and starting all over again.
You can see what he's trying to do. The squad he inherited struggled through three consecutive seasons of relegation, that losing mentality was ingrained, and once two or three key players moved on his hand was forced and the strategy was set in place -- to go for it, and totally shake things up. What Villa fans have seen this transfer window is a series of very exciting new signings, and it's not over yet.
It's not without risk. Of the incoming players only one -- Micah Richards -- has extensive Premier League experience. Goalkeeper Mark Bunn had some exposure when covering for John Ruddy while at Norwich, but that amounted to around half a season. As for the rest, Ayew, Veretout, Crespo, Idrissa Gueye and Jordan Amavi are completely new to the UK. Gestede is not, but has only played in the Championship. Yet there feels like a world of difference to the period when previous manager Paul Lambert recruited from the lower leagues and around Europe.
Sherwood's signings are not unknowns. Veretout, 22 years old, is one of the most promising midfielders France has. Another season or two with Nantes, and he'd probably have been well out of Villa's reach. So too Amavi, rated among the best young left-backs in Europe. Gueye has consistently been one of Ligue 1's most consistent central midfielders for two or three seasons.
As for the strikers, well, the club currently has options in depth. It was always likely that Sherwood would look for more than one new addition to fill the Christian Benteke-shaped void. Should Adebayor join too, Villa will almost have an embarrassment of riches in that department. Not just that, but a range of different qualities to call on. Ayew can play across the front line, a versatile type of scorer and a thrilling talent. Gestede thrives on crosses and, at 6-foot-4, provides the physical presence vacated by Benteke. Gabby Agbonlahor's pace remains a useful asset. Callum Robinson is the young hopeful hungry to make an impact. Adebayor, if the deal goes through, brings a proven goalscoring pedigree and a touch of guile.
And then there is Libor Kozak, no more the forgotten man of the Villa squad. His return, after a horrendous 18 months out through injury, has been one of the happiest aspects of the preseason campaign. The Czech striker has been fully involved and looks sharp again. Never the quickest, nor indeed the most spectacular of players to watch, the 26-year-old retains a goalscoring instinct. His movement and finishing is good, as he demonstrated by scoring twice against Wolves in Tuesday's friendly. One was a thumping drive from 20 yards, the other a sliding reaction to Robinson's cross. There have been suggestions he could be loaned out but provided there are no further injury setbacks he'd be a useful member of the squad.
Sherwood is now moving quickly to secure his targets, dragging deals over the line. He vowed that never again, under his watch, would Villa be in a relegation battle and although he's gambling to a certain extent, he's also proactively trying to turn a failing team around. This coming season could be great fun.