Aston Villa lead race to sign £50m Premier League star

A generation of Aston Villa supporters have only known struggle and a period without any silverware – that was until Unai Emery took the reins at Villa Park.

The Spaniard has transformed the club from mid-table mediocrity to one of Europe’s elite – not to mention the impact he’s had on the club’s Premier League standing.

He’s led the Villans to four successive top-seven finishes and doing so whilst having to work around the division’s financial constraints, which has resulted in numerous high-profile departures.

The Europa League final win over Freiburg back in May was a day that the supporters will never forget as the club ended their 30-year wait for a major trophy.

However, Emery now has to manage their fanbase’s expectations, with the Villa faithful no doubt wanting such occasions to become a regular feat in the near future.

Aston Villa leading the race to sign £50m attacking star

Despite the transfer window only opening last Monday, Aston Villa have already put a lot of their focus into landing top-level attacking talent to build on the recent European success.

Lille winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo is just one player to emerge on their radar, with the teenager currently representing Belgium at the ongoing World Cup.

He would be a hugely expensive signing for Emery’s men this summer, as his current employers are set to demand at least £60m to even entertain the sale of their star attacker.

Fernandez-Pardo isn’t the only player under consideration in the West Midlands, with West Ham United attacker Jarrod Bowen another who is said to be admired behind the scenes.

According to TEAMtalk, Villa are said to be leading the race for the 29-year-old, who’s almost certain to leave the London Stadium after suffering relegation last term.

The report states Everton are just one other club pursuing the Englishman, but the Villans are at the front of the queue and said to be confident in agreeing personal terms with the player.

Whilst TEAMtalk fail to mention a potential transfer fee needed to secure Bowen’s signature, other outlets have reported that up to £50m may be needed to prise him away from the Hammers.

Why Bowen would be a huge upgrade on Rogers for Villa

A huge part of Aston Villa’s recent success over the last couple of years has been down to the phenomenal form of attacker Morgan Rogers in the West Midlands.

The Englishman arrived from Middlesbrough for a reported £8m back in February, with many pundits questioning the transfer and claiming he wasn’t ready for the Premier League.

He’s since silenced the doubters over recent times, subsequently featuring 125 times since his bargain transfer and scoring 31 times and laying on 25 assists for his teammates.

However, Emery may have to start planning for life without the 23-year-old this summer, as a £100m move to join Arsenal has been touted to prevent any financial breaches.

Losing Rogers would be a huge blow for the Villans given his recent achievements at Villa Park – but it could prove to be a blessing in disguise ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Such funds could be used to secure a move for West Ham star Bowen this window, with the Englishman arguably a more proven Premier League star than his compatriot.

The 29-year-old has scored over half a century worth of top-flight goals and has often been the player to deliver the goods for the Hammers in East London.

When comparing their respective stats from the recent campaign, Bowen managed to outperform the current Villa star in a plethora of key attacking areas.

The winger, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by Ian Wright, achieved a higher tally of combined goals and assists than the 23-year-old despite suffering relegation to the Championship.

Such numbers, coupled with his higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, undoubtedly make him a more consistent attacking option than Rogers despite his lofty £80m valuation.

Bowen also managed to complete more successful dribbles per 90 – subsequently managing to add a better end product to his mazy runs as seen by his increased goal and assist tally.

His dominance over Rogers is further reflected in his cross completion rate, with the experienced attacker managing to pick out a teammate three times more than the Villa star.

Losing Rogers may seem like a huge blow for Emery and Villa this summer, but ultimately receiving a fee ten times higher than they paid for his services would be a phenomenal piece of business.

Bowen has demonstrated he’s more than capable of filling the void of his compatriot, whilst also being able to reach the next level when being surrounded by players of a similar calibre.