Aston Villa are still on the prowl to sign a striker to back up Ollie Watkins ahead of the 2024/25 season.
With Cameron Archer attracting interest from Bournemouth and Jhon Duran likely to leave Aston Villa, Unai Emery will need to sign a replacement for the duo.
Duran would have been the perfect player to continue as an understudy to Watkins however, there is no future for the 20-year-old at Villa Park, with him making it clear he wants to leave.
In finding a replacement for the youngster, or indeed, a backup for Watkins in general, Emery has a big problem. It’s difficult to find a quality striker in the market who will settle for minutes from the bench.
It explains why Villa are looking to sign a younger striker, similar to Duran, who they can develop into the finished article.
Aston Villa’s £15m bid for Semih Kilicsoy rejected by Besiktas
Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy has attracted interest from numerous clubs this summer, with Villa joined by Fulham, Newcastle, Tottenham and Arsenal in the race to land his signature.
Previous reports have indicated that Villa have lodged bids for the 18-year-old, although Turkish outlet Sabah has revealed their most recent offer of £15 million (€18m) has been rejected.
For Villa, who are looking for a ‘powerful’ striker to act as competition for Watkins, Kilicsoy looks like the ideal player in profile, with academy director Mehmet Eksi comparing him to a Manchester City legend, saying: “Some compared him to [Sergio] Aguero. He also sees Aguero as his idol.”
Similar in his stocky build to Aguero, Kilicsoy has showcased a familiar ruthless streak in front of goal to the Argentine, scoring 11 in 23 Super Lig appearances last term in what was an incredible breakout campaign.
The 2005-born striker is now ready to unearth his talents on the Champions League stage at Villa, who should rush to confirm a deal for the talented striker.
Why signing Semih Kilicsoy could be essential for Aston Villa
Providing Archer is sold to Bournemouth and Duran departs Villa Park, Emery is left with just Watkins as a natural striking option.
With the transfer deadline fast approaching, the Spaniard will be keen to resolve the future of his current players, who ideally need to move on before a replacement can be signed.
Indeed, the money freed up from selling Duran and Archer can aid Villa in their pursuit of Kilicsoy, who they could capture for less than the amount received from their two strikers.
For Emery, it is essential that an understudy to Watkins is signed and someone like Kilicsoy will be happy to come off the bench while playing regularly in other competitions.
Therefore, the Villans must do their best to offload their two wantaway strikers so they can sign one of Turkey’s most promising talents.
