Aston Villa now leading the race to sign young £25m striker for Emery

Aston Villa are now leading the race to sign a young £25 million striker ahead of other Premier League teams, according to a new report.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans still have plenty to play for in what remains of this 2024/25 season, as they look to secure another top-four spot in the Premier League, as well as compete in both the Champions League and FA Cup. But even though there is still a lot to be decided on the pitch, off it, the club’s hierarchy are putting plans in place ahead of the summer transfer window.

Related

He’s an “outstanding” talent: Aston Villa are brewing a homegrown Asensio

Aston Villa have their own answer to Marco Asensio.

According to a recent report, Villa have joined the race to sign Genoa’s Morten Frendrup but face stiff competition in the form of Liverpool and Juventus. The Midlands side are keen on securing a deal for the versatile player, with Genoa looking to accept the fact that he will leave come the end of the season, as they are looking to get around £25 million for his services.

As well as looking to sign a new midfielder, Villa are also in the market to strengthen their defence, and according to a new report from Spain relayed by Sport Witness, Unai Emery was back at Villarreal over the weekend to watch defender Juan Foyth in action. He is a player Villa tried to sign in January, but it didn’t work out, and Emery is keen to try again, as he believes he fits into his system at Villa Park.

Aston Villa leading the race to sign young £25m striker

As well as looking at a new midfielder and defender, the Villans are also in the market for a new centre-forward, as according to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are in pole position to sign Charalampos Kostoulas from Greek side Olympiacos.

Kostoulas is only 17 years old and is believed to be one of the most sought-after strikers of his age group, and according to this report, Villa are ahead of the other teams when it comes to securing his signature. The Midlands side are very keen to win the race for the young man, as Emery will want to add more firepower to his attack after the loss of Jhon Duran, and they have already put plans in place to build around Kostoulas, who Olympiacos want to get €30 million for (£25 million).

However, Villa are not the only Premier League team interested, as Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Nottingham Forest are also keeping a close eye on Kostoulas ahead of the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, teams such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and AC Milan are also keen on securing the signature of the striker.

Kostoulas, who has two caps and two goals for Greece’s under-21s, came through the academy at Olympiacos, but it wasn’t until this season that he earned a call-up to the first team. The striker, who is currently on the sidelines with a muscle injury, has made an impact in terms of scoring goals in Greek football.