Why Aston Villa want to sign £60m star alongside Suzuki

Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup Final defeat to PSG was the latest reminder of how far Aston Villa have come in a short space of time under Unai Emery.

Before the Spaniard’s arrival, the Villans were a midtable outfit and often caught themselves looking over their shoulder amid the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Only seven years ago, the club were in the midst of a Championship play-off battle, which ultimately provided the platform for their return to England’s top-flight.

Anyway, enough about the past; the future is what Emery will be looking towards, with one player likely to play a huge part in any future success achieved at Villa Park.

How Madjo can help Aton Villa become a Premier League powerhouse

It’s not often 17-year-old talents take the footballing world by storm, but Villa striker Brian Madjo is doing exactly that with his recent form during the early weeks of the 2026/27 campaign.

The teenager has consistently featured throughout the ongoing pre-season, subsequently netting in games against Real Sociedad, Walsall and Indonesia All Stars.

REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

However, his biggest contribution to date was his goal against PSG in the recent UEFA Super Cup final defeat – as he bullied Willian Pacho and fired home past Matvey Safonov.

Such a performance has undoubtedly generated hype amongst the Villa fanbase, but also across the country, with the youngster potentially able to become England’s main talisman in the future.

It’s undoubtedly early days in his professional career, but his confidence and dominance at such a tender age has seen huge excitement build around Madjo in recent weeks.

Emery will certainly have to manage the player’s expectations in the West Midlands, with the attacker needing to remain grounded if he is to become a vital figure for the Villans.

However, it’s been confirmed that the youngster will be missing for the next six weeks after suffering an injury during his first competitive outing earlier this week.

Why Aston Villa must sign £60m star alongside Suzuki

Despite the recent impact of Madjo for Villa, the hierarchy are still in the market for added reinforcements before the summer transfer window slams shut.

Palma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki appears to be edging closer to a move to Villa Park, after positive talks were held with his representatives after his move to PSG collapsed earlier this week.

However, the attacking department could well be bolstered in due course too, which has seen Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson once again appear on the club’s radar.

RMC Sport have provided the latest on the 25-year-old’s future and have claimed that Villa have shown concrete interest in a move for the Senegalese international over recent weeks.

However, they aren’t alone, with Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid two other clubs who are firmly in the race to secure the attacker’s signature at present.

Any deal will cost any of the interested parties a pretty penny, as Xabi Alonso’s men are holding out for at least £60m to sanction any sale of the talisman this summer.

Jackson is a name which many Villa fans may be sceptical about, but he’s a player who has undoubtedly been given an unfair amount of criticism in recent times.

He spent two years within the Blues’ senior ranks before joining Bayern Munich on loan last term, but his stats from his time in England’s top-flight do make for good reading.

The Senegalese international netted 30 times in 81 appearances for Chelsea – a superb return which saw him find the net in every 2.7 games he featured in.

His underlying stats from his most recent season in the Premier League further highlight his quality, which could see Madjo fall further down the pecking order should an agreement be reached.

Jackson registered 1.4 shots on target per 90 throughout 2024/25, whilst achieving a 46% accuracy rate – with both tallies ranking him in the top 15% of players in the division.

He often played on the shoulder of the last defender and found himself in excellent attacking positions, subsequently registering 15 goal contributions in just 30 matches.

Such numbers demonstrate his elite-level ability within forward areas of the pitch, with Madjo ultimately not having the same experience due to his tender age.

Jackson’s tally of 6.2 touches in the opposition box per 90 showcases his fox-in-the-box nature – which could hand Emery’s side an extremely versatile attacking option in attacking areas.

His £60m asking price could prove to be a stumbling block, but the recent interest highlights the club’s desire to add further forward options to the senior ranks.

Madjo will no doubt feel hard done by should the Chelsea star move to the West Midlands, with the Englishman facing an uphill battle to cement his place as a regular starter at Villa Park.