Aston Villa have made contact with the representatives of a £40 million Atletico Madrid ace who Unai Emery is a big fan of, according to a recent report.
Aston Villa make striker enquiry amid Ollie Watkins exit rumours
Villa may not have been expecting it, but so far in this transfer window, there has been a lot of talk about the future of star striker Ollie Watkins. The England international has been a key player for the Villans for a number of seasons now, but given the recent speculation, his time at the club could be coming to an end.
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Aston Villa make enquiry to sign £60m star who scored in win at Villa Park
Aston Villa are among the teams interested in signing a Premier League striker.
It’s been reported that Manchester United are considering a bid to sign Watkins as they continue their search for a new striker. Meanwhile, Arsenal previously opened talks over a deal to sign Watkins, which may be stopped now they are close to signing Viktor Gyokeres. But Newcastle United are another team that are interested in Watkins and have placed him on their list of potential targets.
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Therefore, no one can blame the Midlands side for looking at potential replacements, and according to journalist Nabil Djellit, Villa have submitted an enquiry to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea. The forward could leave Stamford Bridge this summer and is said to have a £60 million fee on his head. Villa are not alone in their pursuit of the player, as Man United have also submitted an enquiry.
As the Premier League side assess their forward options, they also look to be in the market for a new midfielder. According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa have made contact with Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher's representatives in a bid to bring him to Villa Park.
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The report states that despite only joining the Spanish giants last summer from Chelsea, Gallagher could be open to a return to England, as he wants regular minutes. Atletico are not actively looking to sell Gallagher, but they would be open to a departure should they receive a fee in the region of €45-50 million, which is roughly £39-43 million.
This has alerted Villa, but they do face competition from teams such as Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. However, the Villans are the only team to have made contact with Gallagher’s representatives. Villa’s interest is likely being pushed by Emery, who is said to be a big fan of Gallagher’s 'energy and Premier League experience'.
The 25-year-old’s search for regular minutes may come as a surprise given he played 50 times in all competitions. However, the England international, once dubbed a "pressing and transition monster", was very much in and out of the starting XI.
He started 19 games in La Liga out of 32 but started just four of the nine Champions League games he played in. Given how Emery feels about Gallagher, a return to England could see him be a regular in the Villa side.