Aston Villa have made a fast start to the 2023/24 campaign, with their progression since Unai Emery’s arrival just over a year ago evident in their performance.
The Villans currently sit in fifth in the Premier League table, just one point outside of the top four and despite their huge leap in quality, sources are pointing to potential areas that Emery could bolster his squad in this winter.
The Spaniard orchestrated a fine summer of business at Villa Park with the help of Monchi, welcoming five new faces to the Midlands in the form of Moussa Diaby, Clement Lenglet, Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Just two months into the 2023/24 calendar, one of Villa’s new additions could already be forced to be replaced, as Zaniolo awaits his fate after finding himself caught up in the Italian betting scandal.
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is poised to be served a ten-month ban from football for his offences, with Villa’s forward potentially facing a similar punishment.
Aston Villa transfer news
As a result of Zaniolo’s potential impending absence, Villa have been linked with some impressive attacking names ahead of the upcoming January window.
One name within the English football sphere that has been named as a potential interest point for Villa is Norwich City starlet Jonathan Rowe, with the 20-year-old impressing in the Championship so far this term with seven goals in 13 appearances.
Far away from the second-tier of England comes another potential target in the form of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams.
A report from 90min has named the Midlands club as one of the Premier League representatives said to be eyeing the forward’s contract situation in Bilbao, however there is set to be fierce competition for the Spaniard’s signature.
Moving away from Spain, reports in Portugal – as relayed by Sport Witness – provided an interesting stance on Villa’s reported interest in Sporting CP star Pedro Goncalves, who already has experience in playing in the Midlands following his inconclusive time at Wolve.
The report claims that Villa may be open to paying the staggering €80m (£70m) release clause in the 25-year-old’s contract, with speculation there that Emery’s side are watching the player.
Pedro Goncalves has been formidable for Sporting CP
£70m is a lot of money, but there’s good reason as to why Sporting believe their forward is worth that much, with his form from last season portraying why he is so highly valued in Lisbon.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Goncalves netted 20 goals and recorded 15 assists in 51 appearances for Sporting, with him most prominently deployed on the right wing.
Lauded as a "superstar" by journalist Jack Collins, the Portugal international’s versatility has been highlighted this season, with him trialled in the slightly deeper full-back position, however the forward is best suited in more advanced areas to showcase his ability in the final third.
In terms of what he could offer to Villa, the 25-year-old shares similar qualities to Zaniolo, and could potentially be the perfect candidate to replenish Emery’s front line if the Italian faces temporary expulsion from football amid the ongoing gambling investigation.
Pedro Goncalves vs Nicolo Zaniolo 2022/23
Nicolo Zaniolo
Pedro Goncalves
Apps
28
51
Goals
7
20
Assists
4
15
Progressive passes per 90
1.92
5.26
Progressive carries per 90
3.44
2.98
Key passes per 90
0.81
2.37
Shot creating actions per 90
2.73
4.55
Figures via FBref
As shown in the table above, Goncalves had a far better season than Zaniolo in the 2022/23 campaign, with his strengths outweighing those averaged by the Italian international in almost every element of his attacking play.
By signing Goncalves, who was once dubbed "phenomenal" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Emery could not only fix the potential woes of Zaniolo’s absence, but also find himself with an upgrade on the 24-year-old, who is still waiting to get out of the blocks at Villa Park.
