da esport bet： It has been a puzzling season for Aston Villa. They couldn’t hit a barn door throughout the opening weeks of the season but they are now third in the Premier League.

da roleta： The job Unai Emery has done at Villa Park has been nothing short of incredible and Champions League football looks on the menu again next campaign.

Yet, the Villans must not rest on their laurels as they chase a place at Europe’s top table. A striker must be signed following the departure of Donyell Malen earlier in the month.

Aston Villa ramp up plans to sign a new striker

Much of the transfer chatter coming out of the Midlands this winter has surrounded a move for Tammy Abraham.

The English centre-forward is currently on loan in Turkey at Besiktas but his time there could be cut short as Villa attempt to wrap up a deal.

The player reportedly wants the move and all roads suggest that a move is close to completion. However, payment terms are proving tricky and alternatives are being sourced. One striker linked with a move back to the Premier League in recent days has been Romelu Lukaku.

But, he’s not the only other striker Villa reportedly have in their crosshairs. David Ornstein broke the news on Tuesday afternoon that a deal was being explored to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace.

Fabrizio Romano has since reported on Wednesday that “following talks with Aston Villa and Juventus”, Mateta and his camp have told Palace that he wishes to leave Selhurst Park.

Romano rounds things off by reporting that “negotiations remain ongoing” surrounding Mateta’s future in east London.

It could take a fee of around £40m to prise him away from Palace according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Why Mateta would be Aston Villa's best signing since Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa have to be commended for the way in which they’ve made improvements on the pitch under Emery but their transfer record remains rather sketchy.

In the summer, they signed Evann Guessand from Nice for a big fee but the very fact he could be used as part of a deal to sign Mateta says it all. They also signed Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho who have barely kicked a ball.

Transfer Focus

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The previous campaign they did land Amadou Onana from Everton but Ian Maatsen – who arrived from Borussia Dortmund – has been in and out of the team. Malen, meanwhile, has already departed just a year after signing.

Therefore, you perhaps have to go back two years now to when the Villans brought in a certain Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough. The Midlands outfit paid just £8m and while that could rise to £15m, his value has now risen exponentially.

He’s a full England international and arguably their star man alongside Ollie Watkins. Rogers bagged 14 goals and registered 16 assists last term, career best figures.

While he’s been a little more inconsistent in 2025/26, he’s still been electric at times. The 23-year-old has netted eight times and supplied six assists across all competitions. In short, he’s one of the most sought-after young players in English football for a reason.

So, Mateta could be their best signing over the last two years should he make the journey from London to Birmingham. Ollie Watkins has struggled this term with just seven goals in 30 appearances and it’s abundantly clear that Villa need another goalscorer.

Mateta would present Emery with a plug-and-play option, someone capable of hitting the ground running immediately and scoring goals.

The Frenchman took a while to get going in Palace colours but has really come into his own over the last two and a bit campaigns. He’s been hailed as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson for good reason.

The 28-year-old beat the goalkeeper on 17 occasions last season and has been pretty handy again during the ongoing campaign, scoring ten times in 33 matches.

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That being said, he could be even more prolific. Only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago have registered more xG and only Haaland (20) has missed more big chances than Mateta (16) in the top-flight.

Highest xG in the Premier League – 2025/26

Player

xG

Actual goal tally

Erling Haaland

18.25

20

Igor Thiago

12.73

16

Jean-Philippe Mateta

11.52

8

Ollie Watkins

8.46

7

Kevin Schade

8.38

6

Stats via Sofascore.

Despite that, he remains one of the best in the division and would be just the competition Watkins needs in the back half of 2025/26.

Like Rogers two years ago, he could be the difference maker as Villa hunt down a Champions League spot and potentially even compete for the title.

Better than Abraham & Mateta: Aston Villa enter race to sign £17m striker

The monstrous striker would be a far better signing than Tammy Abraham for Aston Villa.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes