Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing another audacious swoop this transfer window, with a refreshed update on an earlier target coming as a surprise for this stage of the summer.
Unai Emery and Monchi have come together to provide Villa Park with a host of star quality during the break in play, breaking the club’s transfer record fee to welcome £51.9m Moussa Diaby, as well as opening the doors for Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans.
While the business side of operations at the club and pre-season festivities went according to plan, two devastating injury blows to Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings disturbed the tone, along with the side's heavy opening day defeat.
Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?
With the alarming first result and double long-term injury strike in mind, Villa Park has become the potential destination to a new wave of talent later this window.
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Galatasaray attacker Nicolo Zaniolo is expected to undergo a medical today, as per claims from Fabrizio Romano, however another name to bolster the areas typically occupied to the injured Buendia have emerged.
As reported by Caught Offside, Villa are interested in Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, claiming that the Villans are set to offer the 23-year-old an ‘escape’ from Old Trafford.
The report adds that the suspected interest in the Englishman could amount to Emery and Monchi making a late move in the window for the forward.
How many goals has Jadon Sancho scored?
In a recorded 261 appearances, the London-born ace has had a hand in 167 goals, scoring 86 and assisting 81 in what has been a dynamic opening scene to his career so far, via Transfermarkt.
The majority of his goal contributions came in Germany, where he stole the headlines for Borussia Dortmund before being poached by United.
In the season prior to his exit, Sancho recorded 36 goals and assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, following on from his explosive 40 goals and assists in 40 appearances the campaign before.
Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, his form has been far from replicated on his return to Manchester, contributing just 18 goals and assists over two seasons for the Red Devils so far.
While the numbers are both frustrating and disappointing for the winger, there may be a shot at redemption in the Premier League through Emery’s Aston Villa.
Having been once lauded as a “phenomenon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the intricate winger could be the perfect addition to the set-up at Villa Park, particularly with reference to the pending arrival of Zaniolo.
Meanwhile, the incoming Villa man has been dubbed a “lethal playmaker” by journalist Zach Lowy, so the Italian could have his creative strengths exploited in playing beside an outlet as threatening as Sancho.
During the 2021/22 Serie A season, the former Roma sensation averaged 1.28 key passes per 90 and has been described as being 'unique and dangerous' in attack by scouting site Total Football Analysis.
Having a player equally as threatening in the final third as the Englishman equipped with him could take both of the young star’s talents to the next level, with Sancho having the outlet to allow Zaniolo to feed from.
Despite performing underwhelmingly since his return to England, the 23-year-old maintained his playmaking swagger last term, averaging 2.30 key passes per 90 for United.
Identified by Total Football Analysis as being a player that typically enjoys 'running in behind', the former Dortmund dynamo could make the pending Villa arrival unplayable through his talents in offloading the ball in the final third.
While speculation is one thing and Sancho’s hefty £275k-per-week wages are another, there is little clarity to whether the move could be made reality, however, there is no doubt that the potential acquisition could be an exciting one.
