Aston Villa secured another European victory on Thursday evening, defeating Lille 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League ahead of their second leg.
Ollie Watkins was the hero yet again, scoring his 25th goal of a truly wonderful season, and it could well power Villa into the semi-finals of a European competition.
Unai Emery has relied on the Englishman often this season. With the summer transfer window fast approaching, could he aim to sign another centre-forward who could take the pressure off of him?
Aston Villa transfer news
According to reports in the Italian media (via GIVEMESPORT), Villa are seemingly showing interest in a deal to sign Bolgona striker Joshua Zirkzee this summer.
It has also been reported elsewhere that he could cost up to €70m (£60m) should Emery make a concrete effort to secure his signature, and they are not the only team interested in the centre-forward.
The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool are all clubs who could make a move for the Bologna gem, and given their vast resources, would all count themselves as favourites.
Much will depend on whether Villa secure qualification for the Champions League, but if they do, then the club could be in a solid position to bring him to the Premier League.
Joshua Zirkzee’s statistics for Bologna this season
The former Bayern Munich striker made the move to Serie A at the start of last season after scoring four goals in just 17 appearances for the German giants.
Although he only found the back of the net on two occasions in the Italian top flight during 2022/23, he has been a revelation this term.
Ten goals and four assists have come in Serie A, with a further three goal contributions arriving in the Coppa Italia, indicating how impressive a campaign he is having.
His manager, Thiago Motta, has already hailed the striker for his qualities earlier this season, saying: “‘It was an excellent goal from a player with extraordinary qualities. He scored a similar goal in training. Joshua is very talented, but I want to emphasize that he also works very hard for it."
This was after he scored against Sassuolo last year and there is no doubt he could supercharge Watkins should he end up at Villa.
Emery could partner the former Brentford striker with Zirkzee next term to devastating effect. The Spaniard tends to use a 4-4-2 formation and, often, Moussa Diaby has been deployed alongside Watkins, but he isn’t an out-and-out striker.
The duo could form a solid partnership that would terrorise opposition defences, when you consider that the England international already has 25 goals this term, in the Premier League and in the Champions League, if Villa qualify, that is.
Emery may have to move a player or two on this summer in order to comply with financial fair play regulations, but signing a young talent like Zirkzee is exactly the model that Emery should be utilising, especially with how limitless his potential is.
The next few matches are absolutely crucial with regard to securing a top four finish and another defeat, this time to Arsenal on the weekend, could be a significant blow.
