Aston Villa will reportedly look to sign promising 18-year-old Hungarian striker Bendeguz Kovacs from Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar next year.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Bendeguz Kovacs is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are keen on bolstering their first-team squad by signing a promising young attacker next year. So, the 18-year-old AZ Alkmaar striker prodigy has emerged as a target for the West Midlands outfit.
However, Aston Villa will not be alone in the battle for Fehérgyarmat-born prospect’s signature, as Juventus and VfB Stuttgart are also keen on securing his services. The former, in particular, will be in hot pursuit, as the Serie A club’s CEO Damien Comolli is eager to land “young players, with low transfer fees and significant growth prospects” in the coming years.
Who is Bendeguz Kovacs?
Bendeguz Kovacs is the latest promising prospect from his homeland to rise in prominence. Several young Hungarian prodigies have made a name for themselves in the last few years, and Kovacs has burst into the spotlight since moving to the Netherlands. The 18-year-old has passed through the youth divisions at Fiatal Gyémántok SK, Debreceni VSC, ARC Alphen aan den Rijn, Ajax, and AZ Alkmaar.
The Hungarian attacking prospect currently represents AZ Alkmaar’s under-19 side, and he has scored 17 goals and provided one assist in only 16 appearances thus far in the 2025/26 season. Meanwhile, the young striker’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several well-known clubs, including Aston Villa.
Premier League move on the horizon?
Aston Villa’s interest in Bendeguz Kovacs is understandable. The Villans are scouring the market for a striker heading into the next two transfer windows, as Ollie Watkins has not been at his best in the 2025/26 season. Additionally, the English international will turn 30 in a few days.
Several candidates, including Joshua Zirkzee, have thus emerged on Aston Villa’s radar, with Kovacs also a viable target. The teenage prospect has the ideal age profile to initially learn the ropes from Watkins before taking over as the first-choice striker at the West Midlands club.
However, Aston Villa will not be alone in the battle for Fehérgyarmat-born prospect’s signature, as Juventus and VfB Stuttgart are also keen on securing his services. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 18-year-old Hungarian wonderkid.
