The Basics
Age: 24
Club: Leeds United
Nation: USA
Position: Defensive midfielder
Footed: Right
Under contract until: 2027
Born in Wappinger, New York, Adams joined the academy of local team the New York Red Bulls in 2012, making his debut for the first team three years later aged just 16.
Adams became a regular starter for the Red Bulls in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, before moving to RB Leipzig, following his former manager in New York, Jesse Marsch.
The midfielder spent three-and-a-half years in Germany, experiencing Champions League football along the way. He scored the winning goal which helped Leipzig overcome Atlético Madrid and reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time.
He joined Marsch once again at Leeds United in the summer of 2022, signing for a reported £20million.
Adams is the captain of the USA national team and has scored one goal in his 36 appearances.
The Links
Villa have Adams “on a list of potential options”, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans.
The Scouting Report
Strengths
First and foremost, Adams is a terrific ball-winner. He has a great sense for opportunities to steal it away, timing his tackles well and stepping in front of opposition passes to pick them off.
Adams ranks in the 99th percentile for total tackles, the 97th percentile for percentage of dribblers tackled, and the 82nd percentile for interceptions, compared to midfielders in the ‘Big 5’ European leagues.
Although he ranks in the 34th percentile for fouls, it’s impressive that he doesn’t commit them more often given his style of play.
He is aggressive in chasing the ball when his team loses it, but when closing down he arrives under control, harassing the ball-carrier. Adams is hard to shake because he’s very quick on his feet and can change direction quickly to mirror opponents.
Adams tracks runners from midfield effectively and when his team is on the back foot, he positions himself well to screen the back four and make it difficult to thread passes through.
The mobility Adams possesses allows him to range from touchline to touchline, popping up all over the pitch. When watching Leeds, Adams’ energy and intensity stands out.
There is clear technical quality to Adams’ game as well. He shows the ability to make quick decisions and play passes which are generally accurate. The midfielder has the close control to wriggle out of condensed areas and find a teammate.
The US international ranks in the 69th percentile for pass attempts, the 52nd for pass accuracy and the 64th for progressive passes.
Despite his height – between 5’9” and 5’10 ½” according to different sources – Adams has a strong leap and is able to compete in the air, ranking in the 90th percentile for aerial win rate.
He also has some positional versatility, having played out wide and at full back on occasion.
Weaknesses
Adams produces very little attacking output and rarely goes near the opponents’ penalty area. He has just five goals in his club career, and only four assists in league competitions since moving to Europe.
He isn’t too strong of a ball-carrier either, ranking in the 24th percentile for progressive carries and the 12th for successful take-ons. It’s worth saying though that this is partially due to his role at Leeds and his numbers in the Bundesliga were much closer to average.
His accuracy wains significantly on longer or more difficult passes, where the ball can often come up short, be blocked or intercepted. His completion rate ranks in just the 34th percentile for medium passes and the 31stpercentile for long passes.
Adams could also do a better job of finding space to receive the ball in and being more available to teammates. He just stays marked at times.
The aggressiveness with which he pursues the ball can leave gaps to be exploited, although the chaos-inducing Marsch system is partially to blame for this.
Fit With Villa
Adams would likely function as a true defensive midfielder for Villa, providing a slightly different skillset to Boubacar Kamara; more energy and ball-winning but less ball progression, which would give Emery another option to use depending on the opponent.
The two could play together at times, perhaps alongside Douglas Luiz in a midfield three when Emery feels it’s necessary.
He may be able to play as one of Villa’s ‘wide 8’s at times, similar to John McGinn’s current role or Francis Coquelin at Villarreal, or at right-back in a pinch.
Adams doesn’t feel like a true need for Villa, but with Leeds having been relegated to the Championship, he could potentially be signed at better value, and the club may feel it’s worth it to provide some quality depth.
Similar Players
The 10 closest statistical comparisons to Adams, according to FBREF, are:
- Óscar Valentín – Rayo Vallecano
- Idrissa Gana Gueye – Everton
- Jerdy Schouten – Bologna
- Azor Matusiwa – Reims
- Laurent Abergel – Lorient
- Boubacar Kamara – Aston Villa
- Walace – Udinese
- Fabinho – Liverpool
- Stijn Spierings – Toulouse
- Wilfred Ndidi – Leicester City
Schouten, Matusiwa, Spierings and Ndidi could be logical alternatives for Villa, although they may be more restricted to solely a defensive midfield role than Adams.
Transfer Targets Series
The Villa Ramble 
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