Aston Villa eye Spain international as Marcus Rashford Plan B option

Aston Villa are looking at Spain international Samu Aghehowa as a potential transfer option to bolster their attack this summer.

Unai Emery is assessing his transfer options at Villa Park as he plans for changes in his squad for the 2025/26 campaign.

Emery’s transfer budget will depend on Villa reaching the UEFA Champions League qualification spots before the end of the campaign and they currently face a real battle in the run-in.

That will decide which targets the Spanish coach can pursue and who will have to be overlooked due to finances.

Loan pair Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford also have a chance to stay at the club, with the latter rated as more likely, but Emery is still not fully convinced.

That could lead to Emery looking into Porto striker Aghehowa in 2025, as per reports from Portuguese outlet Record, with the La Roja forward also on Newcastle’s radar to potentially replace Alexander Isak.

Aghehowa opted to leave Atletico Madrid last summer, after being unconvinced over his first team role  under Diego Simeone, but Los Rojiblancos are rumoured to still hold a 50% sell-on fee on his £82.5m release clause in Portugal.

22 goals in 38 games in all competitions is a strong return for the 20-year-old as he bids to become Spain’s first choice striker in future years.

Th report claims Villa and Newcastle have both sent scouts to keep an eye on Aghehowa’s progress in recent weeks as they assess their next move.

Porto will want secure a huge fee for their star striker, but the club could also exercise their right to buy 30% more of his rights from Atletico Madrid before entering sale talks, to ensure they receive more from a potential transfer exit.

Porto are also battling for Champions League qualification for next season, and that will bolster their chance to keep Aghehowa, as Villa will not pay his full exit clause.