Aston Villa are yet to show off their best in the Premier League this season.
It has been a disorienting summer for Unai Emery's men after all, with the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins being consistently looked at by their fellow top-flight rivals, away from the disappointing departure of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United for £43m.
Ollie-Watkins-Aston-Villa
Still, with the transfer window wrapping up very shortly, the Spaniard will hope he can keep a firm grip on his top assets - away from the sad exit of Ramsey - with a bounce back from his side's two winless opening matches also on the cards.
On top of that, he will further be eager to welcome in a few new additions before August is out, with a whole host of fresh signings reportedly on the Villans' radar.
Aston Villa show late interest in £40m star
Minus splurging out £30m on Evan Guessand, Villa have been quiet in terms of flashy incoming signings.
That could soon change if Emery and Co are finally successful in their advances to land Chelsea outcast Nicolas Jackson, with Villa having reportedly made him their top target for the remainder of the window.
A deal makes sense, particularly considering he's already worked with Emery. However, he isn't the only costly addition rumoured to be making the switch to Villa Park.
Nicolas Jackson under Unai Emery (Villarreal - timeless)
The Daily Mail Online have revealed that Villa are in the hunt to sign wantaway West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
It won't be straightforward for Villa to win the Brazilian, who has a hefty £40m price tag above his head, with the report further clarifying that Tottenham Hotspur are also keen to pick up another asset from their near-London rivals, having sounded out Paqueta as a target to now pursue after losing out on Eberechi Eze.
West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta celebrates scoring their first goal with Tomas Soucek
West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta celebrates scoring their first goal with Tomas Soucek
Yet, if Villa were to find themselves at the front of the queue for the lively 27-year-old, they might be about to win a far better signing than a hit-and-miss Jackson entering Emery's group.
Why Paqueta could be a better signing than Jackson
Rampant transfer talk surrounding Watkins deserting Villa Park has died down in recent weeks.
Therefore, forking out £60m on a striker such as Jackson, who has been prone to widespread barren patches of form at Stamford Bridge, might not be the most sensible move, with £30m already shelled out on landing Guessand to enhance the Premier League side's forward personnel.
Nicolas Jackson-3
Worryingly, Jackson has squandered a colossal 43 big chances across his last two league seasons at Chelsea.
His goal return of 24 league strikes when he isn't being wasteful ultimately falls flat next to Watkins' far superior 35 efforts across the same span.
Nicolas Jackson 2024-25 stats (timeless)
While the former Villarreal forward might not be viewed as the most sensible use of money, landing Paqueta for £40m could be deemed a masterstroke if he can let his football do the talking in the West Midlands, away from being embroiled in off-the-field controversies at the London Stadium.
Paqueta atWest Ham
Position
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CM
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Sourced by Transfermarkt
Indeed, Paqueta has stood out as a vibrant, versatile presence throughout his 122-game stay in East London, with his collection of 19 goals and 14 assists from those clashes seeing him line up in a plethora of different positions, showcasing precisely why he's been described as "one of the best 10s in the world" by one data analyst.
lucas-paqueta-west-ham-premier-league
Having been one of a select few to exit West Ham's recent 5-1 loss with Chelsea with his head held high, too, having smashed home the Hammers' opener, the Brazilian will be champing at the bit to line up alongside faces such as Watkins and Rogers, hoping he can elevate his game to their lofty standards in the process.
Well, he should be up for the test, having further been hailed as "magic" by U23 scout Antonio Mango.
Paqueta vs Chelsea
Emery will also immediately want Paqueta's energy from the middle of the park to rub off on his players after a lifeless opening to the season, with the Hammers' number 10 winning a high six duels per game in league action throughout 2024/25.
Jackson could well go on to do a reasonable job up top in claret and blue, but with Paqueta once being touted for an £85m switch to Manchester City, snapping him up for just £40m is surely the better move to sign off on.
Villa already have Watkins and Guessand who can play up top, but adding another creative face to take the burden away from Rogers - particularly considering he could leave - would be a wise use of funds.