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#3 Pepe Reina
One of the strangest signings during the January transfer window saw veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina – who has won honours such as the Bundesliga, the FA Cup and both the World Cup and European Championship with Spain – move to Aston Villa in a loan deal from AC Milan. The transfer took many fans by surprise, especially given Reina is 37 years old and only played 12 games in 2018-19.
Thankfully for fans of Dean Smith’s struggling side, Reina has settled into life at Villa Park well, and since arriving in the Midlands, he’s been one of the Villains’ most consistent players. His debut for the club saw him make some remarkable saves in a 1-1 draw with Brighton, and in his second appearance, he was able to help Villa to a vital 2-1 win over fellow relegation battlers Watford.
Reina’s best showing yet actually came in a loss – the 2-3 defeat to Tottenham that saw him make a total of 7 excellent saves – but while Villa’s results haven’t improved massively since his arrival, he has brought an air of calm to the club that could be extremely important for them going forward in their fight against relegation.
