Aston Villa in the Hunt for UCL-Winning Striker
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Aston Villa in the Hunt for UCL-Winning Striker

Villa in for PSG’s Ramos in Search for Striker Depth

With departure of Donyell Malen to Roma, and the lack of quality squad depth in the striker position, it is an achievement in itself that Aston Villa have managed to battle their way into third place, seven points clear of their nearest chasers Liverpool.

Attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers leads the scoring charts with seven to his name, and while centre forward Ollie Watkins sits on the same total, his patchy form and history of long streaks without scoring is of concern to Unai Emery who is now looking at bringing in a plan B.

Plan B seems to have been identified in the form of PSG’s Goncalo Ramos, who could leave the Parc des Princes due to lack of regular gametime.

New Blood

Aston Villa have been heavily reliant on Watkins ever since his move from Brentford in 2020, and for the most part, the club have been rewarded for the faith they have shown in him, as over five and a half seasons at the club, the Englishman has netted 94 times.

However, it is well known that Watkins undergoes frequent dips in form, and with no top quality striker to fill in for him while he is misfiring, the Villains tend to suffer a subsequent dip in form.

Now, Unai Emery seems set to put a stop to that - PSG’s Ramos represents an excellent depth option up front, and considering his significant talent, is priced at a more than reasonable £34 million, a veritable bargain in todays transfer market.

However, part of a PSG side with one of the finest attacking lineups anywhere in the world, Ramos struggles to start regularly, with the likes of Desire Doue and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele ahead of him in Luis Enrique’s pecking order.

Ramos has played 33 times for PSG this season, but in his last 18 appearances for the club, he has been allowed to complete a full 90 minutes just once, a frustrating trend for any player, as everyone is desperate to avoid substitution. He also scored three times in last seasons Champions League as PSG waltzed their way to their first ever European title, underlining the fact that he could be effective against even the finest opportunity.

So despite taking to the pitch regularly, Ramos will be hungry to become a number one striker, and if that means making a move elsewhere, he will be more than happy to take the leap.

An immense talent when the ball arrives at his feet in the box, the Portuguese international still has 43 goals for the French side despite limited starts, and has a record impressive enough to link him with a host of European clubs.

Aston Villa may lead the way for his signature, but January strugglers Crystal Palace and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are also monitoring the 24-year-olds scenario should any of their star-striker opt to leave in January or in the summer.

A player who relies on clever movement and excellent striking instincts, Ramos would undoubtedly be a hit in the Premier League. All this potential needs now is for someone to make the first move.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Harry Pascoe

Lead Writer

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