Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is in the market to bolster his forward line and now believes he can sign one of his top January targets for a maximum fee of £10 million, according to a report.
Aston Villa’s festive fixtures…
Undoubtedly, the Villans have emerged as one of the Premier League’s most entertaining sides this campaign and have put themselves in a handy position to finish in the Champions League slots at the very least or even challenge for the English top-flight crown.
Last Friday, they looked to be heading for a first loss in the division since early November after an 87th-minute strike from former youth player Cameron Archer; however, Nicolo Zaniolo stepped up in the 97th minute to ensure that his side took a share of the spoils in front of a raucous crowd in the West Midlands.
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Despite their brilliant consistency on home soil, club captain John McGinn shared that the stalemate at home to the Blades felt like a defeat on the day, saying:
“We are disappointed we couldn’t go clear at the top outright, but we need to put into perspective how good a run we’ve been on at home and it was bound to come to an end at some point. It shows the mentality shift that it feels like a defeat.”
On the bright side, Aston Villa don’t have to wait long until they have a chance to bounce back from dropping two points at home to a relegation contender, with a trip to face Manchester United next in line for Emery’s men on Boxing Day.
There will also be one eye on the January transfer window behind the scenes at the club from owners NSWE and they now have internal belief that they can land one of their main targets.
Aston Villa transfer update on Kelechi Iheanacho
As per Football Insider, Aston Villa believe that they can land Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho for between £5-10 million in January as Emery looks to beef up his current options in the final third. The report states that the Villans are in the market for an attacker who can provide cover for the likes of Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby across the front and the Nigeria international could be available for a fairly modest fee.
Kelechi Iheanacho key statistics in 2023/24 – Championship (Sofascore) | |
Goal conversion | 18% |
Shots per game | 1.6 |
Shots on target per game | 0.6 |
Big chances created | 3 |
Big chances missed | 6 |
Talks over a renewal of his terms at the King Power Stadium have stalled, which could leave the former Manchester City man out of contract at the Championship side in the summer of 2024. RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner is also believed to be on the radar for Aston Villa.
Labelled “fantastic” by Brendan Rodgers, Iheanacho has also become a particular nemesis of Aston Villa over the years, hitting the target on seven occasions during the course of his career (Iheanacho statistics – Transfermarkt).
With six goals and two assists to his name this term, the 27-year-old carries a poacher’s instinct that could add something extra to their current crop of talented attacking options in the West Midlands.
