Aston Villa will reportedly prioritise signing a 23-year-old Nigerian winger from Villarreal when the transfer market reopens in January.
Aston Villa are lining up a move for Villarreal midfielder Samuel Chukwueze during the January transfer window. That’s according to Football Insider, Villa’s new head coach, Unai Emery, plans to explore the prospect of reuniting with Chukwueze and has made him his top target.
Chukwueze joined Villarreal in 2017 and swiftly rose through the ranks to break into the first-team setup of the Spanish club. He was handed his debut early in the 2018-19 season and has been an instrumental member of their attacking contingent in recent seasons.
To date, Chukwueze has scored 29 goals and provided 26 assists from his 178 appearances in all competitions for the Yellow Submarine, with 20 of those coming in the Europa League triumph during the 2020-21 season and their deep run to the Champions League semi-finals the following campaign.
He performed well under Emery’s watch at Villarreal, contributing to nearly 30 goals across all boards, and could be making a move to the Premier League in January 2023, with Arsenal and Everton rivalling Aston Villa for his signature.
While new boss Emery has competent attacking options in the likes of Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, and Emiliano Buendia, the former Gunners boss is still intent on adding to his attacking arsenal in the upcoming transfer window, with most of the aforementioned options performing below the required level this season.
Predominantly a right winger, Chukwueze is also able to operate as a number 10, as a striker, and on the left wing, offering tremendous versatility with similar production. He likes to cut in from the right and shoot with his left foot, or bamboozle defenders with his tricks, flicks, and quick dribbling, and pick out the reverse pass.
The 23-year-old is a weapon on the break and can move swiftly from one end of the field to the other, while he can also deliver precise crosses and execute crisp passes into the box. He is under contract at the Estadio de la Ceramica until the summer of 2024. So, the Villains may have a good chance of signing him for a reasonable fee at the end of the campaign.
Chukwueze is not the only Villarreal player that Emery is trying to bring to the Premier League. The Lions will reportedly attempt to raid the Spanish outfit for as many as three other first-team stars in the winter transfer market– including Senegalese versatile forward Nicolas Jackson, and elegant defender Pau Torres — in a bid to improve the standards and quality of the squad at Unai Emery’s disposal.
In fact, It’s hardly surprising that there have been rumours about Aston Villa linked with Emery’s former Villarreal players given the Yellow Submarine’s success in recent seasons.
