Aston Villa join Pedro Goncalves transfer race as £25.5m update emerges from Sporting CP
Aston Villa have joined the transfer race for Sporting CP ace Pedro Goncalves after Bayer Leverkusen had a £25.5million bid rejected in the summer, according to A Bola.
The Portuguese news outlet reported [16 March] that the Villans and West Ham United have continued to draw up “detailed reports” on the 25-year-old winger.
It is understood that Goncalves currently has a release clause of £68.4million, with Sporting holding out for a bid of at least £35million before they would debate selling their star.
Could Aston Villa sign Pedro Goncalves from Sporting CP?
Under Unai Emery, Villa are building a superb squad at Villa Park, competing for the Champions League spots in the Premier League as well as pushing for the Europa Conference League title.
The Villans have one of the most potent strike forces in the league, boasting the joint-fourth highest number of goals, bettered only by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Despite this, Emery’s attacking arsenal looks a little light beyond the first-choice starters, with any injury potentially leaving the team without a few threats. This was showcased on Thursday (14 March) when Ollie Watkins was replaced after 33 minutes by Jhon Duran.
Although the Colombian fired home a beautiful goal in the 4-0 demolition of Ajax, Villa will be keen to add higher-quality forwards to the team during the summer transfer window, especially with Nicolo Zaniolo set to leave after a poor loan spell.
The much-anticipated return of Emiliano Buendia from injury will certainly help with squad depth, but with Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby the only other senior attacking options, injuries could make for a dire situation.
Goncalves already has nine goals and 10 assists in 24 league appearances this season, helping Sporting push for the Liga Portugal title, and proving to be a vital part of the Portuguese club’s squad.
And in a wider context, the 25-year-old has already made 169 appearances for the Portuguese giants, recording 74 goals and 48 assists.
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