Villains In Pursuit of Marseille Wonderkid

Aston Villa Chase 18-year-old Tearing Up Ligue 1

Despite their lofty position of third in the Premier League, Aston Villa’s summer business left a lot to be desired. Largely carried by the existing squad, the attacking signings of Jadon Sancho, Evann Guessand and Harvey Elliot have not exactly gone to plan.

Furthermore, although in a rich vein of form, Ollie Watkins continues to frustrate and has already shown this season that he can go long spells without finding the net. As such, the Villa hierarchy have decided to look for some striker squad depth in the January transfer window.

🟣🔵Aston Villa are interested in Marseille 18 year old center forward Robinio Vaz
Could be available for €25m this month due to a standoff in contract extension talks.
(L'Équipe)#UTV #avfc🦁 pic.twitter.com/zCSdte7yWT

— Ｅｓｐｅｎ🦁 (@espenstrand) January 5, 2026

And it seems they may have found the perfect candidate in the shape of 18-year-old Marseille marksman Robinio Vaz.

Who is Robinio Vaz?

The French teenager has become just the latest in a long line of superb Mareille attacking prospects, after breaking into the first team this season.

Samir Nasri, Jordan and Andre Ayew, and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye all breached into the senior game in the south of France, and going off Vaz’s output, he looks like the next graduate set for a long, successful future at the top of English football.

Though his return of four goals and two assists in 19 games sounds far from impressive, context must be given. Only four of these games have come from the start, and he is yet to complete a full 90; he is more used to being utilised as an impact player off the bench.

In all, he boasts a goal contribution every 73 minutes, one of the best figures of its kind in Europe’s top five leagues. And with his style of play, and tall, fast-running figure, he appears perfectly equipped for life in the Premier League.

Earning around €2,500 per week, a move to the English top flight would also promise a much more significant payday for the Frenchman, and though many footballers don’t like to admit it, money is certainly a driving factor behind a majority of moves.

🇫🇷 Robinio Vaz is one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe right now.

He’s averaging a goal or assist every 73 minutes for Marseille this season.

A tall, long-legged forward who is a nightmare for defenders.

He loves to run the channels, constantly moving off the… pic.twitter.com/ZiBiw1tRX6

— Bence Bocsák (@BenBocsak) January 4, 2026

However, Aston Villa are not placing all of their eggs in one basket just yet, as Cruzeiro striker Kaio Jorge has also been a player of interest to the Villains since November. The 23-year-old Brazilian netted 26 goals in 46 games throughout the 2025 Brazilian domestic season and, having likely reached his ceiling in his home country, will be looking for a new challenge.

Jorge would bring a more developed profile to Villa Park, but Vaz would bring immense promise for the future, potentially taking up the mantle of impact sub from the now departed Jhon Duran, who was immense during his time under Unai Emery.

And having become the youngest player in Marseille history to score a brace in a Ligue 1 match, it seems Vaz is set for a career of records, be it in his native country or abroad. Either way, Aston Villa needs a striker, so don’t be surprised if you see these two names crop up in the next week or two.