Emery could sign Aston Villa a “special” Watkins partner this January

Aston Villa begin 2024 by occupying the heights of second place in the Premier League table after a wonderful start to the 2023/24 campaign.

Unai Emery won’t be resting on his laurels, however, as there is still work to be done to secure a top-four finish, especially with clubs such as Manchester City and Arsenal lurking just below them.

The Spaniard has built a solid starting XI that, on their day, can defeat anyone in the league. With knockout stage European football secured, however, Emery will be keen to add a few more players to his team during the January transfer window, and they have their eyes on a Serie A striker.

Aston Villa transfer news – Albert Gudmundsson

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Football Italia), Aston Villa have scouted the Genoa striker Albert Gudmundsson several times this season as they plot a move for the player.

Brentford and Crystal Palace are the other clubs who are showing interest in the centre-forward and the report indicates that the Midlands outfit will continue to scout him ahead of making a potential swoop in the summer.

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Gudmundsson has recently signed a contract extension until 2027, yet if he continues to score in Serie A, plenty of clubs will be lining up to sign him at the end of the season.

Albert Gudmundsson’s season in numbers

The former AZ Alkmaar frontman has been in sublime form in front of goal for Genoa during the 2023/24 season so far.

The Iceland international has found the back of the net on seven occasions in the Italian top flight this term, including strikes against Juventus and AS Roma, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.

The 5 foot 9 gem has been dubbed “special” by writer Rajath Kumar this season and if he moved to Villa, he could strike up a solid partnership with Ollie Watkins.

The Englishman has often operated alongside either Moussa Diaby or Jhon Duran on occasions this season, but he could do with a player like Gudmundsson next to him. Indeed, Diaby has only found the net once in his last ten outings.

Watkins, on the other hand, has scored 14 goals in 27 appearances this season, and he has been revitalised under Emery over the previous 12 months.

Over the previous year, Gudmundsson has stood out in a few performance metrics when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues and these statistics could allow him to link up well with Watkins.

Indeed, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.58), the top 7% for progressive passes per 90 (3.58) and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.88) and he could be the perfect foil for the Villa striker.

Emery won’t be rushing to make just any signing, especially as it appears he is building a team that can genuinely challenge for glory, but it is clear he needs to bring in at least one or two new players this month.

While a move for Gudmundsson isn’t looking like it will go through in January, he must continue to keep tabs on the player, especially with how well he has played in Italy this season, and he could become a valuable signing in the summer.