It has certainly been an eventful summer at Aston Villa. After the departures of the two star players Christian Benteke to Liverpool and Fabian Delph to Manchester City the side looked destined for relegation.

However, Villa manager Tim Sherwood has moved fast in a bid to transform the sides fortunes, bringing in nine new signings so far this summer.

The club has raided the French league for Jordan Amavi from Nice, Idrissa Gueye from Lille, Jordan Ayew from Lorient and Jordan Veretout from Nantes.

They are joined by Spaniard Jose Angel Crespo, Scott Sinclair who signs a permanent deal, striker Rudy Gestede from Blackburn, goalkeeper Mark Bunn and most importantly the new club captain, Micah Richards.

It does not look like Sherwood is finished either with plenty of speculation about the possible signings of Emmanuel Adebayor and Barcelona youngster Adama Traore.

You can’t say that club lack strength in depth and the Villa boss certainly has some selection dilemmas ahead of him.

Here is how Aston Villa should line up this season…

Goalkeeper – Brad Guzan

Guzan was the first choice at the beginning of last season but was forced to sit on the bench for the last few games of the season after being dropped for poor form.

Shay Given has now moved on to Stoke City, leaving Guzan as the obvious candidate to re-take the number one spot at Villa.

The American will be determined to prove a point to manager Sherwood after his spell out of the side.

The 30-year-old goalkeeper is a calm figure behind the defenders, his composure and commanding presence in the box will prove vital encouragement for a number of his less experienced team mates.

Right Back – Alan Hutton

The Scottish defender looks a rejuvenated character under Sherwood, one of Villa’s rare impressive performers last summer he has made the role his own.

Hutton is a strong defender who is never afraid to give 100% in a challenge, he is comfortable on the ball in defence or supporting those in front of him.

With the Aston Villa defence looking shaky to say the least, Hutton is the best man for the role ahead of winger turned right back Leandro Bacuna.

Centre Back – Micah Richards

The ex-Man City defender is sure to be one of the first names on the team sheet and Richards has recently been announced as the new Villa Park captain.

The new signing is a real coup for Villa, and he will bring a great deal of valuable Premier League experience to the side.

Richards brings a combination of pace, power and intelligence to the back four. His ability to read the game and adapt his position to give himself the best chance of recovering the ball.

The Powerhouse will be on a mission to work his way back into the England set-up this season.

Centre Back – Ciaran Clark

Clark has been a key part of the Villa defence in recent seasons, always improving as he makes more and more first team appearances.

Whilst the Ireland defender is not the best defender on the planet, his passion and determination can not be faulted. Clark will always give 110% and never back out of any tackle.

His determined attitude will rub off on his team mates and he can be the motivating voice on the field that Villa need.

Josep Okore is the main rival for his position but the Danish defender makes one too many errors and would be better off as a backup to Clark whilst he develops his game further.

Left Back – Jordan Amavi

The French defender is a new signing from Nice and looks a very bright prospect.

The talented youngster will provide a great deal to his team both defensively and going forward.

Compared to Ashley Cole he is comfortable supporting those in front of him or trying to win the ball back off the opposition.

Amavi brings a mixture of pace, strength and intelligence on and off the ball. He is comfortable on both feet and will become a star at his new club.

He offers a much better alternative to the previous left backs Kieran Richardson and recently departed Aly cissokho.

Central Midfielder – Ashley Westwood

Westwood has become an unsung hero at Villa since he moved from Crewe in 2012.

Whilst his performances often go unnoticed by many he contributes massively to the team.

Sitting in the holding role of the midfield trio Westwood has incredible ball retention, he is often the starting point of the majority of Villa’s attack.

His determination and work rate are massive strengths in his game, as is his vision, the midfielder will always try to get into a position to provide an outlet for the ball.

The 25-year-old is also an important part of all the set-pieces Villa win, due to his impressive distribution.

Central Midfielder – Idrissa Gueye

A new signing from Ligue 1 he is a like for like replacement for the departed Fabian Delph in the midfield.

Gueye became a vital part of the Lille first team in recent seasons, making it more surprising they let him depart this summer

He is very hard-working and brings a lot of energy to the midfield whether it be supporting the attack or helping the defence to recover the ball. The midfielder focuses on doing the simple things right.

He is an all-round excellent midfielder and the way he sacrifices himself for the team will impress the Villa faithful.

Central Midfielder – Jordan Veretout

Another import from France, Veretout is a very talented midfielder. The new signing from Nantes is technically gifted and is the creative midfielder Villa have been lacking for seasons.

He can play as the No.8 in the midfield but is almost just as comfortable in the classic No.10 role. Drawing comparisons to Aaron Ramsay.

The young midfielder has great intelligence and vision, he is comfortable sitting and dictating the play from deep as well as being the focal point of the attack in the final third.

There is little doubt the Frenchman will play an important role at Villa Park next season, running the show from the centre of the park.

Forward – Jordan Ayew

Perhaps the most well known of the new Sherwood French revolution, Ayew is a talented young footballer, he will likely sit just behind the striker.

The Ghana international is tall, strong and good in the air but he is not a target man. He is fast and good with the ball at his feet, his mobility will prove a nightmare for defenders to handle.

He offers more to the team than the likes of Charles N’Zogbia and Gabby Agbonlahor.

Ayew is a great all round talent, he has all the attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League and has a big career ahead of him.

Forward – Scott Sinclair

Sinclair has been one of the best performers in pre season, the player has played himself into a starting role as part of the attacking trio.

The 26-year-old will be looking to replicate the form he showed early in his career during his time at Swansea and prove to Manchester City they were wrong to let him go.

With Jack Grealish injured Sinclair is the obvious choice to step into the first team.

A mixture of skill, pace and intelligence in front of the goal the attacker will provide much needed Premier League experience to the new look forward line.

Expect the front man to weigh in with his share of the goals.

Forward – Rudy Gestede

Despite constant speculation over the past couple of weeks Emmanuel Adebayor has not yet joined the club on loan.

Adebayor would likely be the main man in Sherwood’s strike force because of their previous relationship at Tottenham but until that move goes through Villa need someone to score the goals.

Gestede is the man to step in and lead the Villa attack this season.

The 26-year-old impressed at Blackburn, scoring 34 goals in 65 appearances for the club and will be looking to showcase that talent in the Premier League this season.

The player has incredible aerial ability and would suit the tactics used by Sherwood last year that were based around Christian Benteke.