Aston Villa moved up to third in the Premier League table over the weekend with a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Villa Park on Saturday. A first-half goal from Matheus Cunha had the visitors in front but goals from Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and substitute Jhon Duran secured all three points in the second 45.
Duran has now scored four goals in five appearances in the Premier League so far this season for the Villans, despite all five of his outings coming off the bench.
The 20-year-old marksman is an incredibly exciting striker prospect for Unai Emery, and Monchi is reportedly looking to add another young gem to the manager’s attacking arsenal as the club look to build sufficient depth around star man Watkins.
Latest Aston Villa transfer news
According to CaughtOffside, the Villans are one of the clubs eyeing up a swoop to sign Besiktas winger Semih Kilicsoy in the upcoming January transfer window. The report claims that they are one of three Premier League sides showing an interest in the Turkey international, alongside Nottingham Forest and Fulham.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart, Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen, and Ajax are also keeping tabs on the 19-year-old starlet, which shows that there is set to be plenty of competition for his services next year.
It states that Aston Villa failed with an offer of €18m (£15m) to sign the forward in the recent summer transfer window, and that they remain keen on the talented youngster. CaughtOffside adds that Besiktas are looking for a fee in the region of €25m (£21m) for the young gem. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Monchi is prepared to up his bid by £6m to land the winger in January.
Why Aston Villa should sign Semih Kilicsoy
Despite his young age, Kilicsoy has already showcased his quality at first-team level for Besiktas and could provide Emery with another exciting attacking option. The winger, who only turned 19 last month, has started the 2024/25 campaign with two ‘big chances’ created and two assists in two starts in the Super Lig.
U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed that the teenage sensation “has the world at his feet” and that speaks to his huge potential as a player, which is backed up by his form on the pitch as an 18-year-old in the Turkish top-flight last season.
|
2023/24 Super Lig |
Semih Kilicsoy |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
23 |
|
xG |
5.59 |
|
Goals |
11 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
|
Assists |
4 |
Kilicsoy scored 11 goals from an xG tally of 5.59 and this shows that the Besiktas starlet was incredibly effective in front of goal, as he more than made the most of the chances that came his way. The £21m-rated phenomenon produced 15 goals and assists combined in 23 league appearances, which suggests that the potential is there for Villa to land a player who could provide a regular threat in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
At the age of 19, the Turkish ace could initially come in as a rotation option, much like Duran is now, and develop under Emery as an exciting prospect in the years to come.
