Aston Villa couldn’t turn down an offer of around £71m for Jhon Duran in January. The striker may have scored 12 goals in just 29 games for the club, but only seven of those appearances came in the starting XI.
It was unlikely the Colombian was going to usurp Ollie Watkins as Unai Emery’s main man.
Jhon-Duran-Aston-Villa
While it made financial sense to sell, Watkins remains the only senior centre-forward at the club heading into the summer transfer market.
The Spaniard must bring in another one or two options in this department, especially if he wishes to lead the club to the Champions League once again.
Could he be targeting a young sensation who has enjoyed a fabulous season?
Aston Villa target Spanish centre-forward
A host of attacking players have been targeted recently. Tyler Dibling, the Southampton winger, has been linked with a big-money move to Villa.
Jadon Sancho is another wide option that Emery is showing interest in. Both of these talents would bolster the club’s wide options, but it is a more central player that the manager is desperate for.
jadon-sancho-chelsea (2)
According to Caught Offside, Villa are now chasing a move for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.
The Spaniard has spent a single season with the Portuguese giants, but his performances have certainly caught the eye of potential suitors.
They don’t appear in a rush to sell their prized asset, who has a release clause of €100m (£85m) inserted into his current deal.
Samu 2024-25 stats (timeless)
Despite that, further reports from Spanish publication, Sport, suggest that they have already approached Porto to figure out whether a deal could be done.
Why Aston Villa must sign Samu Aghehowa this summer
Young, an eye for a goal and a desire to succeed in the Premier League. Aghehowa might just be the club’s next Duran.
While Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio came in for the final few months of the season, the club missed the goals and impact of Duran, particularly during the final 30 minutes of games.
Well, Aghehowa scored 25 goals across 42 games for Porto last term, a more than impressive return, especially given it was his debut season at the club.
FC Porto's Samu Omorodion celebrates scoring their first goal
The striker, who was described as "one of Europe's most prolific players" by talent scout Jacek Kulig last season, also registered 2.7 shots per game in the league last term, while he also achieved a goal conversion percentage of 23% for Porto.
Put simply, once he gets the ball in the box, the youngster scores more often than not, just as Duran did. He would get more of a chance at Villa than the South American, however, despite Watkins’ stature as the main centre-forward.
Samu Aghehowa's stats for Porto last season
Metric
Goals
Assists
Goal conversion percentage
Scoring frequency
Shots per game
Via Sofascore
Much will depend on the fee Porto are demanding for their star player, but if it is affordable, then Emery must make this deal a priority.
If he manages to lure Aghehowa to the Premier League, he could sparkle for Villa next season and beyond.
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He's a wanted man.