Aston Villa In Line For A €40M Summer Transfer Swoop: Should Emery Bring In The Sporting Midfielder ? | OneFootball

In a recent report from Birmingham Live, it was mentioned that it is highly likely that Aston Villa make a transfer swoop as they target Pedro Goncalves from Sporting Lisbon. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to Villa Park for some time now, and Villa now stands the strongest possible chance of securing him.

Several reports are claiming that a deal in the region of €40million and €50million would be enough to land him this summer, even though the Portuguese outfit initially wanted the clubs to meet his €80 million release clause.

Goncalves’ Impressive Numbers for Sporting So Far This Season

Goncalves is having a brilliant campaign at the José Alvalade Stadium as he has managed to produce several impressive displays from the middle of the park. The 24-year-old has featured in 34 matches for the Portuguese club this season, finding the back of the net 16 times and securing seven assists in the process across multiple competitions.

Sporting Lisbon’s Portuguese midfielder Pedro Goncalves runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second-leg football match between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 16, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

The Vidago-born talent has done well to anchor the midfield based on his average of 3.0 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per 90 minutes in Primeira Liga. He has also been tidy with his ball distribution after making 81.9% of his attempted passes in the Portuguese top tier (stats via whoscored).

Should Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery Move In For Goncalves?

Goncalves has proven his worth as a prolific presence in the middle of the park. He has been very productive with his offensive numbers this season and can also create some meaningful openings for his teammates on the attacking end of the pitch.

The Portuguese sensation remains adept at holding onto the ball and can easily get past defenders with ease. Furthermore, he remains efficient in distributing the ball to his teammates. He is primarily an attacking midfielder but remains versatile enough to play in the holding positions or in the left flank as well.

We can expect him to inject more firepower into Unai Emery‘s attack if Aston Villa can devise a way to get him on board this summer. At 24, the player’s best years are ahead of him, which makes him a worthy target for Emery in the off-season.