Aston Villa head into the 2024/25 campaign with ambitions that they can not only shine in the Champions League, but also replicate their Premier League heroics from last season.
Qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition has been a wonderful incentive for Unai Emery to lure high-quality additions to his squad. Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen may not have joined otherwise.
They might not be the only top-class players to join the Midlands side this transfer window, as the Spaniard looks to be eyeing a move for a player who is currently shining for his club side…
Aston Villa chasing move for Sporting CP sensation
According to Portuguese outfit O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Villa are showing plenty of interest in signing Pedro Goncalves, who is currently playing for Sporting, before the end of the transfer window.
If they are to lure him to the Premier League, Emery will have to shell out a club-record transfer fee of €80m (£68m), as the Portuguese side won't accept offers lower than this release clause, which is significantly higher than their current record of £51.9m for Moussa Diaby.
Signing Goncalves would signify a major statement of intent, especially considering the transfer fee. Not only that, but the former Wolves starlet could be a dream signing for centre-forward Ollie Watkins.
Pedro Goncalves’ season in numbers
During his time with the Old Gold, Goncalves made just one appearance before joining FC Famalicao in 2019. A solid season there led him to Sporting, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Across 180 matches for the club, Goncalves has scored 79 goals while registering 52 assists. This works out as a goal involvement once every 1.3 matches, quite a remarkable statistic.
Metric
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
49
18
17
2022/23
51
20
15
2021/22
41
15
14
2020/21
37
23
5
Via Transfermarkt
Last season, the 26-year-old registered 35 goal contributions in just 49 matches and his 17 assists make him a perfect signing for Watkins.
The Englishman did score 27 times last term, perhaps with someone like Goncalves playing off of him, this tally could well push beyond 30 next season.
Indeed, in the Portuguese top flight last term, Goncalves ranked third across the entire league for big chances created (18), while also ranking sixth for key passes per game (two), clearly showcasing his attacking talents and proving to be one of the finest players in the division.
He was hailed as a “superstar” as far back as 2021 and since then, Goncalves has gone from strength to strength and his creativity could provide Watkins with even more high-quality chances to find the back of the net.
When compared to his positional peers, the Sporting star ranks in the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.42) in the men’s next 14 competitions, while ranking in the top 19% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (4.81).
These statistics clearly show that he would be ideal for Watkins. Being able to get into dangerous positions and creating chances for the striker could see the Englishman make that step to the next level, especially in the Champions League.
Much will depend on if Emery is able to splash nearly £70m on signing the maestro. However, If he does, it could be one of the best pieces of transfer business done during the entire window.
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