Aston Villa retains an interest in Sporting CP attacker Pedro Goncalves, although they might need to pay his €80 million release clause.
According to O Jogo via Sport Witness, Aston Villa are in contact in their pursuit of Pedro Goncalves. The Sporting CP star was on their radar during the summer window, but their proposal came nowhere near convincing the Portuguese side to sell the 25-year-old.
Portuguese clubs can sometimes get difficult to deal with for English sides, especially when one of their top players becomes the subject of massive interest. A host of Premier League sides chased the 25-year-old winger during the summer, but Sporting CP held firm on their valuations.
Goncalves had a stellar season with Sporting, scoring 15 times and assisting a further 12 goals during the league season. Interest in him seemed natural during the summer, but Sporting were unwilling to sell him on the cheap. Aston Villa were one of the teams keen, with the report stating Unai Emery’s side made a €45 million offer.
That wasn’t enough for Sporting to consider as they demanded significantly more. A much higher offer might have gotten them talking, as Aston Villa looked in pole position to land the 25-year-old. Emery had been keen on adding to his attacking setup after making good signings during the window.
He did bring a notable winger in Moussa Diaby but also wanted someone on the left-hand side. Goncalves would have fit the criteria, and Emery could have added competition for the injury-prone Leon Bailey. The Jamaican’s fitness record could have been the main reason for Villa to ponder a move for the 25-year-old attacker.
However, things have evolved at Sporting as Goncalves signed a new deal until 2027 with a release clause of €80 million. Aston Villa are uninterested in paying that much for the 25-year-old, but they might improve on their last offer, worth a reported €45 million.
Either way, Aston Villa will continue pursuing Goncalves in January or next summer. Given the player only signed a new contract in August, Sporting may want to keep him till the end of the campaign. However, they could tempt the Portuguese side with a big January offer.
Aston Villa must quickly agree on a deal for a player looking like an important target. Other Premier League rivals like Tottenham and Liverpool have also shown admiration for the €80 million rated attacker, which could complicate the chase for the Midlands side.
