The “world-class” signing Aston Villa could make to forget about Leao

Aston Villa sang into the night as Unai Emery masterminded a Europa League title that ended three decades of searching for silverware.

How long ago that triumph now seems. The Villa are a different unit now, with all the mainstays swept away in a typhoon of transfer setbacks.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers will be hard to replace in attack, but Nicolas Jackson is on his way to Villa Park, and Alejandro Garnacho has a chance to recover his reputation in the Premier League.

Rafael Leao could have been the game-changer, but Galatasaray have won the race to sign the versatile forward.

Rafael Leao would have been Aston Villa’s talisman

There’s a talismanic vacancy at Villa Park, with Aston Villa’s star forwards torn away from the project.

Leao could have been the man of the moment, having been hailed as “one of the best players in the world” by teammate Luka Modric at AC Milan.

The Portugal international has scored 85 goals and provided 60 assists for his Italian outfit over seven years, establishing himself as one of their greatest players of the decade. However, finances and the need for change have seen Aston Villa and Turkish giants Galatasaray vie for his signature, and it looks like the latter have won the race.

Galatasaray saw a £39m offer accepted for the 27-year-old earlier this week, and while it was understood that he preferred a move to the English Midlands, Gala offered a fatter pay packet to bring him on board, and it now looks like he’s headed east.

Leao’s frightening pace, electric progressions on the ball and his capacity to excite and thrill down the wing make him an exciting player indeed. He has also been utilised as a central striker in recent times, scoring nine goals across only 21 league starts last season.

With Jackson set to sign for Villa in a deal worth £65m, you would be forgiven for questioning the need for another centre-forward.

But Tammy Abraham is joining Ipswich Town, and the exciting Brian Madjo is sidelined through injury.

Leao might not be joining, but Emery needs a fallback.

Aston Villa could pull off bigger coup than Leao

Leao would have been a fantastic addition, but he has been known to blow hot and cold for AC Milan. He can thrill and frustrate the i Rossoneri supporters, and Aston Villa must now turn their attention elsewhere.

To miss out on the Portuguese wouldn’t be the be-all and end-all – especially if Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is signed as an alternative.

According to Caught Offside, Aston VIlla have seen a £20m offer for the wantaway forward knocked back. Mateta is threatening to take the south Londoners to court over the validity of his contract, which has reached the final year. A fresh bid is being pushed by the club’s technical staff.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen, and it’s understood that Mateta’s working relationship at Selhurst Park is bordering on untenable.

Leao is an exciting player, but Villa have to be pragmatic at this transitional phase, and there’s a growing sense that Mateta could be the ideal forward to guide the outfit back into the limelight, having become one of the most reliable goalscorers in the Premier League, having scored 46 goals in 109 games under Glasner’s wing.

Consistency is key, and Mateta has perfected the art of scoring goals on the regular, notching four time from April onwards for the Eagles last season, finding form in the Premier League even as he brooded and worked himself back from a damaging injury lay-off.

The Frenchman might not have the same kind of X-factor as Leao, but he has fostered an striking ability over the past several years that could be perfect for an Aston Villa side who have lost two of their most clinical outlets in Watkins and Rogers. Leao would need to adapt to the Premier League, and whether he would actually fire on all cylinders is anyone’s guess.

Labelled “world-class” by one analyst, Mateta might not be the flashiest forward of them all, but his physical style and innate goalscoring ability could make him the perfect coup for the Villa at this late stage of the transfer window, surpassing the impact of Milan’s up-and-down winger.