Aston Villa are closing in on making their first signing of the January transfer window as defender Kosta Nedeljkovic is set to join from Crvena Zvezda for an initial fee of £6.5m, although he will play for the Serbian side until the summer before arriving at Villa Parl.

While not the marquee name supporters expect, it shows that Unai Emery is building for the future and exploring markets which may prove to be lucrative for the Midlands side.

With just under two weeks to go before the winter window closes, the Spaniard will be keen on adding a player or two that could improve his starting XI and the club have been linked with a few names of late.

Much will depend on whether he can move a few players out the door firstly, in order to free up some space.

It is clear that the former Arsenal boss needs to add another attacking option to his squad and a current Premier League striker is the latest name to be linked with a move to Villa…

Aston Villa’s search for a striker

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are open to selling forward Armando Broja this month, with Villa one of the teams who are showing interest in the Albanian.

They are not the only club keen on the player, however, as Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United and Fulham are all battling it out to see who can secure his services and thus bolster their attacking options in the process.

Broja has been valued by the Stamford Bridge side at around £50m, yet the clubs chasing him value him between £30m-£40m and this may be a slightly more accurate representation of his abilities.

Villa’s interest depends on whether they move on Jhon Duran – either this month or during the summer transfer window – and the Blues are reportedly keen on bringing him to London.

Could the next couple of weeks see a transfer merry-go-round occur between Villa and Chelsea? Only time will tell.

If the Midlands side do lure Broja north, he could be their next Tammy Abraham and it could be a wise move.

Related Latest Aston Villa transfer news: Unai eyes £40m deal; Saudi club want star

It’s a huge summer for Aston Villa and Unai Emery as they prepare for the Champions League.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 11, 2024 Tammy Abraham shone for Villa during his loan spell

The English striker made the move to Villa in the summer of 2018 on a season-long loan deal as he looked to give the club the required firepower to end their stay in the Championship.

He said upon his arrival: “Aston Villa are a big club that belongs in the Premier League and I’m here to help them achieve that.”

The centre-forward certainly played his part. Across 40 games for the club, he netted 26 goals, which included one in the playoff semi-final against West Bromwich Albion, and he led Villa back to the promised land of the Premier League.

His clinical nature in the penalty area led him to become a favourite among the supporters during his temporary spell, despite having to return to Chelsea at the end of the season.

Emery could land Villa their next Abraham should they convince Broja that a move to Villa is the best step for his career and if he can replicate the form he displayed during a loan spell at Southampton in 2021/22, it would be an excellent move.

Armando Broja shone for Southampton

Following a successful loan spell at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem throughout the 2020/21 campaign, netting 11 goals in all competitions, the Blues wanted him to gain some experience closer to him.

A move to the Saints followed ahead of 2021/22 and throughout the whole season, Broja adapted well to the top flight, scoring six goals for the club (nine in total) and he looked like he would only get better with more game time.

Armando Broja in the Premier League

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Goals

6

1

1

Assists

0

0

0

Shots on target per game

0.7

0.4

0.2

Successful dribbles per game

1

0.7

1

Goal frequency (minutes)

330

294

463

Stats via Sofascore

During that campaign, the youngster ranked third among the squad for goals and assists in the Premier League (six) along with ranking fourth for successful dribbles per game (one) and third for shots on target per game (0.7), suggesting that he was among one of their finer attacking options.

His recent spell back at Chelsea has not been the most productive and a fresh start could give him the confidence to return to the levels he displayed on the south coast a few seasons ago.

What Armando Broja can offer Aston Villa

Hailed as a “clinical finisher” by talent scout Jacek Kulig upon his arrival at Southampton, there is no doubting his prowess in the opposition penalty area.

A serious knee injury has disrupted any progress he was looking to make at the Blues, however, as he has played only 35 matches since the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign, scoring just three goals in the process.

While he would not displace Ollie Watkins should he move to Villa, Emery tends to operate with a 4-4-2 formation and this could lead to Broja being slotted in alongside the Englishman.

According to WhoScored, the 22-year-old striker tends to dribble a lot and possesses a counter-attacking threat along with making a lot of short passes and this could see him link up well with Watkins should the duo play together.

Not only that, but when compared to positional peers in similar leagues, Broja currently ranks in the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 (2.58), the top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (6.94) and the top 1% for pass completion percentage per 90 (88.3%) which indicates how impressive he has been across a range of metrics, despite his limited time on the pitch.

These attributes would certainly benefit Watkins and it would give Emery another reliable attacking option heading into an important few months for the club.

The Midlands outfit have an ideal chance to end a trophy drought stretching back to 1996 between now and May and adding a couple of quality players to their team this month is vital.

Broja may not be in the best of form this season, but as Emery has proven, he can get a tune out just about anyone and he could sign Villa’s next Abraham by luring the youngster from the Blues in the next week or so.

Reliable transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano has said a "crazy money" star wants to join Arsenal, sharing what he knows on the club's transfer plans.

Arteta wants new signings but faces Arsenal hurdles

Manager Mikel Arteta is desperate to win Arsenal their first Premier League title in 20 years, but a run of lacklustre form has seen them fall five points behind table-toppers Liverpool as we approach the business end of the season.

Edu ready to make rich Arsenal bid to sign £214k-p/w forward in January

The Gunners need reinforcements.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 12, 2024

By Arteta's own admission, his side are currently failing to convert chances, with their latest struggles coming in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

The home side fashioned a host of openings but couldn't seize their plethora of opportunities to take control of the game, with Jurgen Klopp's side capitalising and sailing through to the next round as a result.

It's clear that Arsenal are missing a goal scoring number nine and one who can provide that cutting edge up front. It is believed Arteta is also keen to sign a new striker, alongside two new full-backs and a midfielder (Miguel Delaney).

Ivan Toney

11th January

Joshua Zirkzee

11th January

Serhou Guirassy

19th December

Dominic Solanke

17th December

Boulaye Dia

16th December

Kylian Mbappe

15th December

However, after spending over £200 million in the summer transfer window, Arsenal apparently have a limited January budget and must be careful when it comes to Financial Fair Play regulations (Miguel Delaney).

Signing a striker does remain possible though, according to reports. Indeed, it is believed Arsenal submitted a £22 million bid to sign Getafe striker Borja Mayoral, but the La Liga side rejected their advances. Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is also attracting interest from Arteta and co, with sporting director Edu seemingly not giving up in the chase for a new centre-forward. One man who's been heavily linked is Brentford star Ivan Toney, but a January move is looking more and more complicated as the weeks go by.

Fabrizio Romano shares Ivan Toney update

Now, respected transfer reporter Romano has weighed in with an update of his own on Toney. Sharing Edu's chances of signing him, the journalist claims Toney is actually keen on a move to Arsenal, but the real stumbling block is Brentford's "crazy" asking price.

“Victor Osimhen is not on the market and many others are not available on the market," said Romano to GiveMeSport. "Toney is a player they appreciate, this is true and from what I'm hearing, Toney would be keen on a move to Arsenal.

“But at the moment the financial package is way too expensive for Arsenal. Brentford want crazy money as their manager confirmed a couple of days ago, so I think this is going to be a complicated one.”

The England international is soon set to return from his ban for alleged gambling breaches, and he will be hoping to test Arsenal's dedication to signing him by picking up where he left off.

Toney bagged a brilliant 20 league goals last season, but it will be interesting to see if he can replicate that stellar form after a lot of time away from the field.

Leicester City are plotting a move to appoint former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri as Enzo Maresca prepares to join the Blues.

Article continues below

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Leicester eyeing move for SarriMaresca close to joining ChelseaSarri left Lazio job in March 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the Foxes have included the Italian coach on their managerial shortlist as they look to replace Chelsea-bound Maresca. The 65-year-old ex-Blues boss has been without a job since March when he parted ways with Lazio.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report further claims that the veteran coach is yet to decide on his future amid interest from Serie A's Bologna who could come after Sarri if Thiago Motta decides to leave. The former Scudetto-winning Juventus manager also received an offer from Greek top-division side Panathinaikos, however, he turned them down.

DID YOU KNOW?

Other than the Italian, the newly promoted Premier League side are also eyeing a move for Dutch legend Ruud van Nistelrooy who previously managed PSV in the Eredivisie.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEICESTER CITY?

With Maresca set to formally join the West London side, Leicester will have to find a suitable candidate in the coming weeks who could take charge at King Power Stadium.

Tottenham believe a big club's £50 million star is "perfect" for manager Ange Postecoglou and his Spurs system, and they could explore a deal later in January.

Postecoglou wants three new Spurs signings

According to recent reports, Postecoglou is keen on signing a new centre-back, midfielder and winger this month as the Australian looks to bolster his squad.

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Spurs have suffered with a plethora of injury and suspension issues since the back end of last year, with key players like James Maddison and Micky van de Ven unavailable for large parts of the season.

Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Son Heung-min will also be absent over January, as the Lilywhites trio jet off to represent their countries at AFCON and the Asia Cup respectively.

Luckily for Tottenham, reports this week have suggested they appear close to ticking one off their transfer wishlist, with Spurs in advanced talks to sign Genoa star Radu Dragusin. As well as Dragusin, the Lilywhites are believed to be fans of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Despite being a key player for Mauricio Pochettino this season, Chelsea could be forced to sell Gallagher and fund their own transfer activity, as they've been flying pretty close to the sun when it comes to Financial Fair play regulations.

This could hand an opportunity for Spurs to sign the former Crystal Palace star, with journalist Dean Jones sharing what he knows for Sportslens.

Spurs think Gallagher is "perfect"

According to Jones' close N17 sources, Tottenham believe Gallagher could be "perfect" for Postecoglou as they continue to evolve under the ex-Celtic boss. A swoop for the £50 million Englishman is also possible this month, but it's been put on ice until the end of January as they focus on signing a centre-back first.

It's added that figures inside Spurs are "surprised" that Chelsea's owners could be willing to part with Gallagher, and despite loose talks over a new deal, no commitment has been made by the Stamford Bridge side.

The 23-year-old has started 19 top-flight matches under Pochettino and stands out as their best-performing player by average match rating, according to WhoScored. Gallagher has registered their joint-most assists in that period alongside summer signing Cole Palmer, so he is a proven Premier League player with added creative flair.

“I don’t need to talk too much because it is not my decision," said Pochettino on Gallagher's future recently.

"He is in the starting eleven in nearly all the games and is one of the captains. For me, he is the type of player that the club needs to have. He came from the academy and knows the identity of the club and he is very committed. You can see on the pitch how he runs, plays, and fights. He gives everything and he is a really important player. All coaching staff want this type of player in their team."

Newcastle United are interested in completing the signing of an absolute "game-changer", having sent scouts to watch him in action for his current club.

Newcastle transfer news

There is a chance that January could be a busy month at St James' Park, though they will have to be careful to operate within the realms of Financial Fair Play. Kalvin Phillips is the player who has arguably been linked with a move to Newcastle more than anyone else in recent weeks, with a loan switch making sense for the player, his current club Manchester City and the Magpies.

Meanwhile, in defence, highly-rated Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio has emerged as an exciting option for Eddie Howe, while Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi is also a reported target.

Serhou Guirassy is reportedly wanted to bolster Newcastle's attack, too, following a breakthrough season that has seen him soar for VfB Stuttgart, but another attacking gem is also being tipped to make a move to St James'.

Newcastle tracking Viktor Gyokeres

According to an update from HITC, Newcastle and owners PIF are interested in signing Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, having sent representatives to watch him play for the Portuguese giants. He has a £42m release clause in his deal, so the Magpies know how much is needed to snap him up.

"Both Liverpool and Newcastle United were present at Sporting Lisbon’s dominant 5-1 win over Estoril over the weekend with both having separate priorities," the report says, before continuing to state that while the Reds were there to see Inacio, the Magpies are eyeing Gyokeres.

The Sweden international is such an impressive striker, having left Coventry City for Sporting last summer, following a stunning season that saw him score 21 goals in the Championship. He has taken that form with him to Europe, netting 11 times in 15 Primeira Liga outings in 2023/24 to date, as well as scoring three goals in five Europa League matches.

With Callum Wilson not getting any younger and Alexander Isak suffering an injury-plagued Newcastle career to date, the Swede could be a fantastic signing, and the fact that he already knows English football well would be an added bonus. He has been described as a "game-changer" by Statman Dave, while Tony Mowbray has even compared him to Erling Haaland, saying:

“I don’t want to say he should test himself in the Premier League but who is like him in the Premier League at the moment? Who is too fast, too strong and too big, you would suggest Haaland is like that and Gyokeres in this league looks a yard faster and stronger than the players he plays against in the Championship."

Newcastle now offered chance to sign £350k-a-week 81-cap international

He could be available on the cheap this month.

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 9, 2024

At 25 years of age, Gyokeres is still a relatively young player whose peak years could arrive in the near future, and he could end up being a prolific figure for Newcastle for a long time, providing competition for Isak and even acting as a potential striker partner for him.

Ben Stokes threatened a late jailbreak, but Nuwan Pradeep dismissed No. 11 Mark Wood to secure a memorable win for Sri Lanka

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu21-Jun-2019
As it happenedLasith Malinga conjured a vintage spell, part-time offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva struck three times in nine balls, Angelo Mathews scored a stubborn 85 not out, and Avishka Fernando made a rollicking 49 to shock tournament favourites England and give Sri Lanka enough reason to dream of a spot in the semi-finals.There were other heroes as well for Sri Lanka. Nuwan Pradeep bowled some mean inswingers with the new ball and then returned for the last over to have No. 11 Mark Wood feathering behind to deny Ben Stokes, who remained unbeaten – and heartbroken – on 82 off 89 balls. Isuru Udana backed up his excellent pace variations with two sharp catches – one off his own bowling and the other at the edge of the boundary. Kusal Mendis (46), like Mathews, had produced his highest score of the tournament to haul Sri Lanka to a scrappy 232 for 9. All of this resulted in Sri Lanka admirably defending that meagre total against a mighty England side that had topped 300 in eight of their last nine ODI innings. This, despite some late monster blows from Stokes.He threatened a jailbreak even after England were reduced to 186 for 9 in the 44th over. He farmed the strike and teed off, violently carting Udana for back-to-back sixes and then hitting the returning Pradeep for back-to-back fours. Stokes found a single off the fifth ball of the 47th over and Wood needed to see off just one ball. However, it wasn’t to be as Pradeep’s near-perfect full ball in the channel grazed the thinnest of outside edges and capped a remarkable comeback for the ragtag, seemingly down-and-out team.Malinga had struck with the second ball of the chase to pin local lad Jonny Bairstow lbw for a duck and, not much later, sent James Vince back caught at slip. He would return to whip up some old magic, dismissing the other local boy Joe Root for 57 and Jos Buttler for 10 in successive overs. While Root was late onto a glance and was snaffled down the leg side, the ball that bested Buttler was a Malinga special: a dipping leg-stump yorker that swooped under his bat and had him lbw.ALSO READ: Stats – Malinga joins McGrath, Murali and AkramJust as Sri Lanka were ramping up the pressure on England, Jeevan Mendis bowled a half-volley and a dirty long-hop that was smoked into the stands by Stokes. Enter Dhananjaya. Exit Moeen. The batsman had just aerially slog-swept an offbreak just away from the reach of deep midwicket, but he still ventured another big blow off the next ball and picked out Udana at long-off for 16. Then, in his next over, Dhananjaya took down both Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid to leave England at 178 for 8. It became 186 for 9 when Udana tricked Jofra Archer with his back-of-the-hand variation.Stokes then went bang, but Wood, who had hoped at the halfway mark that England might not need him with the bat, couldn’t hang on with him. Had he safely negotiated that ball from Pradeep, England would have only had to deal with the change bowlers, with Malinga having bowled out too.An upset did not seem likely when Root was unflappable in the early half of the chase, playing percentage shots on a slow, grippy Headingley pitch. He got cracking with a serene punch behind point, but Malinga and Pradeep didn’t allow him to keep going with similar fluency. Root, though, soldiered to his fifth fifty-plus score in six innings this World Cup. However, it was his dismissal that triggered a full-blown collapse.The sun was shining in its full glory in the morning, and Avishka played more glorious back-foot drives and pulls that had former Sri Lankan stylist Kumar Sangakarra gushing, “He’s got timing, this boy!” on TV commentary. Archer was swatted so far into the stands beyond square leg that the ball bounced off a railing and disappeared out of the ground. All told, Avishka took Archer for 24 off 15 balls. However, when Wood dug one short and wide outside off, he neither played an upper-cut nor a ramp and wound up simply gliding the ball into the lap of deep third man.Mathews and Kusal Mendis then got together for a 71-run stand – the highest in the game. Mathews took 13 balls to get off the mark and 39 to find the boundary, but Kusal Mendis scored at a brisker clip at the other end as they kept Moeen and Rashid at bay until the 30th over. Rashid, who is nursing a shoulder injury and taking injections for it, suddenly rediscovered some zip and removed Kusal Mendis and Jeevan Mendis off successive balls to reduce Sri Lanka to 133 for 5.With the innings spiralling out of control, Mathews adopted a more vigilant approach and tightened up further to give Sri Lanka a shot at batting out their 50 overs. Archer and Wood’s extra pace made light work of the lower order, but they could not find a way past Mathews.He tiptoed to an 84-ball half-century – the joint-slowest in this tournament alongside Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi’s effort. But, it wasn’t until the last over of the innings that Mathews unleashed a shot in anger. His lusty leg-side club off Archer helped Sri Lanka reach 232, which proved enough in the end.

Amid reports that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a real candidate to depart Tottenham before deadline day, it's believed a starlet of theirs is expected to leave as well.

Players who have already left Spurs in January

After the arrivals of both Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin, Spurs moved to balance the books by sealing a plethora of January loan deals away for surplus players.

Related All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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Posts ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Indeed, Djed Spence, Eric Dier, Ashley Phillips, Japhet Tanganga, Sergio Reguilon and Ivan Perisic have all departed Tottenham on temporary deals recently – with Spurs freeing up squad space and saving money on wages.

Dier and Perisic have seemingly both played their last games for Tottenham regardless, as the duo are out of contract this summer. The nature of their transfers will allow Bayern Munich and Hajduk Split to sign them for free later this year, with both sides securing Bosman deals and Tottenham getting some high-earners off the books.

The aforementioned crop could yet be joined by a few other members of Ange Postecoglou's squad, with uncertainty still surrounding the future of Hojbjerg.

Hojbjerg tipped to potentially quit Tottenham

The 28-year-old was a mainstay under Antonio Conte, but Tottenham's new manager can't quite find a place for him in the new system on a regular-enough occasion.

Hojbjerg has been relegated to more of a squad player this campaign, which has apparently left the Dane unsatisfied. It is believed Hojbjerg wants to leave Tottenham in January, and reports as far back as last Autumn have suggested Conor Gallagher could replace him.

The midfielder could well depart north London after nearly four years at the club, having first signed from Southampton in the summer of 2020 when Jose Mourinho was in charge.

Gil also expected to leave Tottenham

As per Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Hojbjerg is likely to be joined by Spurs starlet Bryan Gil. The 22-year-old has struggled to establish himself under Postecoglou despite amassing a reputation as one of Spain's promising talents in recent years.

He's started just two league games, making seven substitute appearances off the bench, with Corriere saying there is an expectation Gil is "leaving" Tottenham in January.

This has apparently put Lazio on red alert, and there is a belief that Maurizio Sarri's side could get him on loan with the option to buy him later this year.

It remains to be seen if this comes to pass, but some supporters will be disappointed if he does leave given the early excitement surrounding his arrival.

Signed by ex-managing director Fabio Paratici, Gil hasn't quite lived up to that, despite ESPN editor David Cartlidge branding him a "potential star in the making", back in 2021.

England’s decision to leave David Willey out of the final World Cup squad was a “consensus” decision rather than a unanimous one, national selector Ed Smith has revealed.Announcing the make-up of the squad to contest the tournament starting on May 30, in which left-arm seamer Willey missed out in favour of newcomer Jofra Archer, Smith also said the decision to bring Liam Dawson in for Joe Denly was driven by concerns over a niggle suffered by spinner Adil Rashid.Willey was outspoken earlier this year in his opposition to a bowler who had helped England become the No.1 one-day side in the world possibly missing out to Archer, who only recently qualified to represent the country. Smith, who told Willey of his omission when he contacted players on Monday, said he had been “honest” and “dignified” in receiving the news.”That was a very difficult decision, I think the situation we were in as a selection panel, and in consultation with the captain, was we had more players we wanted to fit into the squad than we were allowed to, so it was a very tough call,” Smith told Sky Sports.”David Willey has been a big part of the one-day side, he has had such a good run, it was a really tough call but someone had to miss out. David was very unfortunate in missing out but he could easily have been in this World Cup squad, he deserves to be in the World Cup squad, but that’s sport. Sometimes there are more deserving people than there are places in the squad.”He’s an outstanding man. He’s very honest, very, very dignified, very clear to the conversation we had, a very impressive man. He’s a very impressive cricketer, it is extremely unfortunate.”Smith was reluctant to give detail on the selection panel’s discussions but indicated captain Eoin Morgan had an important role in the final decisions. Asked if leaving Willey out was a unanimous call, Smith said: “I wouldn’t get into that, I’d say it was a consensus decision. I would say that everyone in the room was comfortable with the squad that the selection panel has come up with.”It was very important for me as a selector, that the captain feels comfortable with the squad he takes into the World Cup, obviously. Eoin has been captain for over four years, the England one-day side has done extremely well, this is the culmination of a long campaign, a lot of planning, the culture of that team has been very strong under Eoin Morgan. He’s very comfortable with the squad, as we all are.”Smith said that ultimately, Willey fell victim to the fact that England’s pace bowling stocks are strong, and deep. And he did not expect Archer’s inclusion to cause any unrest within the squad.Meanwhile, it was Rashid’s recent worries with a slight injury that sparked the selectors’ decision to plump for a back-up spinner in Dawson rather than a back-up batsman in Denly. Dawson has taken 18 wickets for Hampshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup at 20.33 and scored 274 runs at 45.66, including a 90-ball century against Surrey last month. Denly only bowled a handful of overs as England experimented with him as a third spin option during the warm-up ODI series against Ireland and Pakistan and took one wicket – a stumping off a leg-side wide – while with the bat he managed 25 runs from two innings, plus an unbeaten 20 in a T20 against Pakistan.”The first thing to say is with that position of the spinner or reserve batter, it’s a very subtle balance issue,” Smith said. “Do you tend towards someone who’s mainly a batter who also is a very handy bowler in Joe Denly, or do you tend towards someone who’s tilted more towards the bowling side of it but also as a handy batter?”It could have gone either way. In actual fact, Liam Dawson was always in contention he was in the team in Sri Lanka and then a side injury forced him out of that, Joe Denly came in and has stayed in, limited opportunities even though he’s had.”Adil Rashid has a little niggle, hopefully he’ll be fine, and it won’t affect him having a full part in the competition. But that’s slightly tilts things towards spin bowling cover as a priority rather than one of your batting reserves.”Dawson played the last of his three ODIs against Sri Lanka last October.

Aston Villa's 0-0 draw against Chelsea on Friday night was their second goalless scoreline in back-to-back games.

The Villans have tallied up 29 shots across the two games, but that clinical edge has clearly been lacking.

With that in mind, Unai Emery could well look to secure an exciting prospect to bolster his attack before the transfer window closes next Thursday.

Aston Villa's search for an attacker continues

According to reports from Turkey this week, Villa are believed to be closely watching Semih Kilicsoy.

The Besiktas prospect is a target for numerous other clubs, however, with Spurs being another Premier League side that is interested.

Villa do have funds available to spend, as shown by their interest in Morgan Rogers, so a move this month isn't impossible. It was reported last week that they were set to lodge a new bid for the Middlesbrough star although that deal is looking tougher to complete than first anticipated.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024 How Semih Kilicsoy would fit into the Villa team

Fans of Villa and the Premier League know just how dangerous Ollie Watkins has been this season, with it almost being inevitable that the forward will either score or provide a goal in every game.

The former Brentford ace has netted nine goals and registered eight assists so far in the league, making him the joint third-highest contributor in the competition.

However, the 28-year-old has now gone six matches without a goal, with his teammates struggling to get him into the game. Yet, the potential signing of Kilicsoy could create a deadly strike partnership that would get the best out of Watkins and make Villa much more dangerous.

Besiktas' 18-year-old has been described as a "hidden gem" by football writer Ben Mattinson, and he is experiencing his breakthrough campaign, impressing enough to be trusted with a spot in the starting XI as of late.

The Turkish star has started the last seven Super Lig matches as a left winger, and the table below shows a handful of statistics that prove he would work extremely well alongside Watkins.

Goals

0.80

xG

0.46

Assists

0.32

Shots

4.01

Successful dribbles

2.57

Touches (Att pen)

6.26

The first attribute that stands out about Kilicsoy is his ability to score goals. Based on his xG to goals ratio, it is clear that he is an extremely clinical forward who has composure way beyond his years.

Despite only playing ten matches with an average of 57 minutes per game, the 5 foot 10 attacker is already Besiktas' top scorer in the league with five, which would also make him Villa's joint-fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League for this season.

Therefore, having another goal-scoring outlet other than Watkins would make Emery's side far less predictable while also boosting their output.

Furthermore, an assist rate per 90 minutes of 0.32 shows that he could be an added source of creativity for Watkins, and the fact that he has a high number of touches in the opposition box means that the duo would be able to combine and interchange roles.

Kilicsoy is also extremely confident in his own abilities, as highlighted by his high shot and successful dribble statistic, he's simply a player that makes things happen. Mattinson has also labelled him as "powerful," and that is apparent while he's on the ball, as he rarely gets bullied, unlike other young players who are yet to develop physically.

Having him operate in the second striker position where he can drift out wide into the channels would get the best out of him, Watkins, and make Villa a much more frightening side.

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Ainda sem Gustavo Mosquito e Léo Natel, que terminaram a última temporada como titulares, e fazem um trabalho de recuperação física após ficarem duas semanas afastados por lesões, a Timão que iniciou o duelo contra o Carcará teve Cássio; Fagner, Jemerson, Gil e Fábio Santos; Gabriel e Ramiro, Rodrigo Varanda, Otero e Mateus Vital; Jô.

Pelo duelo contra o time pernambucano ter sido em jogo único, Mancini admitiu antes da bola rolar que precisava de força máxima para garantir a classificação na competição nacional.

-Pensamos em escalar uma equipe com o que temos de melhor hoje, priorizando que seja um time competitivo, porque o campo pede isso, o regulamento pede isso – disse o treinador corintiano ao SporTV antes da vola rolar.

Como Mosquito estava em alta quando começou a sentir as dores no joelho que o tiraram dos últimos quatro jogos, a tendência é que o atacante volte com moral e recupere o espaço na titularidade. Caso isso se confirme, a tendência é que Rodrigo Varanda perca o lugar.

O garoto de 18 anos foi o que mais teve oportunidades entre os 10 pratas da casa promovidos nesta temporada, foram cinco jogos, todos como titular, 338 minutos em campo e um gol marcado, que garantiu o empate em 2 a 2 no clássico contra o Palmeiras, no dia 3 de março, na Neo Química Arena, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

Contudo, Vagner Mancini entende que, em relação a “garotada”, o objetivo principal é amadurecê-los como profissionais. O treinador, inclusive, tem enxergado êxito neste objetivo.

-Vejo os meninos amadurecendo, que é realmente nossa intenção. Fiz com que sete ou oito atletas da base integrassem nosso elenco nesse início de temporada, mas não podemos esquecer que já tínhamos alguns garotos que estavam com a gente. Vejo que nesse momento é muito importante para o Corinthians, pela saúde financeira, que a gente tenha jogadores que tenha a cara do clube, para isso, precisamos amadurecer esses meninos – comentou o treinador.

Atualmente, o elenco corintiano conta com 35 jogadores, mas Mancini conta com 29, já que Danilo Avelar, Mantuan e Ruan Oliveira se recuperam de lesões no ligamento cruzado, Léo Santos de uma lesão no adutor, André Luís e Roni (além de Ruan) da Covid-19 e Mosquito e Natel fazem transição física.