An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans to bolster the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window…
What’s the latest on Aston Villa’s interest in Alberto Moleiro?
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Villans are prepared to pay €25m (£22m) to sign Las Palmas attacking midfielder Alberto Moleiro at the end of the season.
The report claims that Premier League teams Liverpool and Villa are both willing to match the Spanish side’s price tag, which is €25m (£22m) as a fixed fee.
It is stated that LaLiga giants Barcelona were only prepared to offer that much as part of a package with €15m worth of add-ons that were not guaranteed, which could open the door for the English teams to swoop in.
However, Mundo Deportivo also claims that the gem would be open to remaining at Las Palmas for another season if they are promoted to LaLiga, with the club currently sitting three points clear of third in LaLiga 2.
How would Alberto Moleiro fit in at Aston Villa?
The Spanish wizard has played between 19 and 21 matches as a left winger, right winger, and an attacking midfielder respectively in his career and this means that the youngster could line up in any of the three roles behind Ollie Watkins.
Moleiro could strike an instant connection with the Villa centre-forward as the 19-year-old is a creative talent who likes to constantly provide his fellow attackers with opportunities to score.
In LaLiga 2 this season, the teenager – whose “silky touch” was once lauded by scout Jacek Kulig – has produced 1.7 key passes per game and created 11 ‘big chances’ in total, which shows that the maestro is consistently opening up opposition defences for his side.
Meanwhile, Douglas Luiz (1.3) is the only Villa player with more than one key pass per match in the Premier League this term – providing just four ‘big chances’ – and this suggests that Unai Emery does not currently have one outstanding creator who he can rely upon to carve teams open.
Moleiro, if he can make the step up to the Premier League, has the potential to come in and be the creative presence in midfield that they have been lacking this season.
Watkins could greatly benefit from this as his form under Emery has shown that he has the scope to be an excellent goalscorer for the club if provided with the right services.
Since the World Cup, the Englishman has plundered six goals and one assist in ten Premier League appearances. Now, imagine the figures the marksman could rack up over the course of a season with a playmaker regularly creating big chances for him to score from at the top end of the pitch.
Emery could form an exciting pairing in the final third by signing Moleiro with that precisely the reason Johan Lange and the Spanish head coach must work to get this deal over the line in the coming months.