Aston Villa: Emery considering 'different type of threat' in 161-goal star | OneFootball

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery may be considering a ‘different type of threat’ amid rumours of a move for striker Paul Onuachu, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Genk forward would provide something different to existing striker options Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, as he is 6 foot 7 and could act as a target man to bring other attackers into the play.

Aston Villa Transfer News – Paul Onuachu

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux, Villa are considering whether to make an offer for the colossus, although it is indicated that his current club would only consider offers north of £21.5m, considering how important he is in their push for the Jupiler Pro League title.

The Villans could make a move as soon as the January transfer window, although Genk’s Head of Football, Dimitri De Conde, recently indicated to Het Nieuwsblad, via VoetbalKrant, that the Nigerian is “very happy” at his current club.

Even so, De Conde does not rule out the departure of his prized asset, saying “No amount has been agreed for which he can leave. We will see what will happen. Although it goes without saying we would like to keep him with us.”

As per Transfermarkt, Onuachu’s current deal does not expire until June 2024, so Genk could choose to hold off until the summer before selling, and still receive a decent transfer fee for their star player.

What has Jones said about Onuachu?

While Jones cannot confirm how much truth there are in the rumours, he claims that if the move does transpire, it is an indication that Emery may be implementing a new style of play at Villa Park, telling GIVEMESPORT: “For now I’m putting it down to agent talk, paper talk, whichever way you want to put it, but if they seriously are looking at this, it just goes to show that they are looking at a different type of threat.“

Onuachu’s Career Stats

In an esteemed career up to this point, the 28-year-old has scored 161 goals in 322 games, during stints with Vejle Boldklub, FC Midtjylland, and Genk, as per Transfermarkt.

However, it is over the past few seasons in which he has really started to hit a rich vein of form, netting 13 goals in 14 league games this term, a figure that places him at the top of the goal-scoring charts, as per Transfermarkt.

While the ability to score goals is obviously an important asset for any striker, Onuachu’s aerial ability is a key feature of his game which would provide Emery with a different option in the Villa attack, and he has averaged 1.9 aerials won per game this season, according to WhoScored.

Current striker Danny Ings only averages 0.9, one less than the transfer target, highlighting the difference that he could make as a focal point for Emery in the Villa attack.