Sam Stone

Tue 21 March 2023 7:10, UK

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon’s Pedro Goncalves – and the 24-year-old would be a direct upgrade on Philippe Coutinho.

The Portuguese maestro has enjoyed a stellar season for Lisbon with 26 goals and assists in the 2022/23 campaign. He has also hit the headlines after scoring a spectacular goal to help his side knock Arsenal out of the Europa League.

Portuguese newspaper, Record, claim in their print edition (page.17) on 20 March that the Villans are set to make a move for the attacking midfielder this summer, although his £70million release clause could make a move tricky.

Despite the hefty fee which is required, the influential attacker would be an immediate upgrade on Coutinho, who has struggled to gain form during the course of the season.

The Brazilian has managed just one goal in what has been a disappointing campaign to date. On the face of it, the former Liverpool man’s time at Villa Park has been a failure, having arrived with such high expectations on what looked like a bargain fee.

When we initially compare him to Goncalves, before delving into the stats, the Sporting man looks like a far more promising option.

Goncalves’ age already gives him the upper hand, let alone 26 goals and assists. The 24-year-old has a far longer shelf life and is potentially not even at the peak of his powers.

Statistically, it’s also fairly grim reading for Coutinho. According to Wyscout, Goncalves’ expected goals per 90 minutes (0.38) is over three times greater than the Aston Villa man.

Ollie Watkins has been a vital goalscoring asset in recent weeks, but Unai Emery’s system has also seen goals flow from attacking midfield, with Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey being regular contributors.

The Spaniard likes his midfield stars to get forward and be a threat, which could suit the Portuguese midfielder, who is a constant goal threat.

Furthermore, Goncalves is a player who is not afraid to test the opposition goalkeeper with 98 shots racked up thus far in the 2022/23 season, which is four times Coutinho’s output. In fact, only one player has had more attempts on goal in the Primeira Liga.

However, one caveat is that the Aston Villa man has missed large parts of the season due to injury. His shots per game are not too dissimilar from the Sporting star.

Another impressive aspect of the 24-year-old’s skillset is his desire to get into goalscoring positions as much as possible. He averages nearly three touches in the box per match, which is better than Coutinho’s 1.95.

Emery wants his midfielders to make runs into the box, Douglas Luiz’s goal against Bournemouth being a prime example.

Coutinho’s willingness to receive the ball to his feet as opposed to making selfless runs in behind could well be hindering his chances under the Spaniard.

As for Villa’s move for Goncalves, it’s certainly a big fee for the club to stump up – and if they do it will be a huge statement of intent. However, long term, it’s a move which could be a crucial piece of business.

He’s a player who is entering his prime and could well see his value skyrocket further if he did make the move to the Premier League and perform well.

Furthermore, his eagerness to contribute from midfield makes him the ideal candidate to provide competition to Villa’s offensive options. A summer transfer for the Sporting star would certainly raise expectations around Villa Park.

In other Aston Villa news, the club could climb into the Europa League places if they sign the Premier League midfielder that Emery is “crazy” about.