Aston Villa have been busy during the transfer window so far, signing Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno while also shipping out striker Danny Ings to fellow Premier League side West Ham United and Unai Emery will be aiming to conduct more business over the coming days.
Indeed, another signing could potentially be on the way, this time for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele. News outlet Media Foot claimed in December that Villa were interested in the Frenchman and now talkSPORT have confirmed that Dembele is wanted as a replacement for the recently departed Ings in order to spearhead the Villa attack.
Ings was Villa’s top scorer with seven goals this season and it’s clear that Emery requires someone who could be a lot more clinical than this, and Dembele fits the bill.
His performances at Lyon have seen him labelled as a “scoring machine” by journalist Bertrand Latour previously while he is also statistically similar to Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez and he could be a wonderful addition for Emery.
According to FBref, Nunez is the first-most similar player to Dembele across Europe’s top leagues, and given the Uruguayan’s ability and potential, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.
This season has seen the two players register similar statistics with regard to shots on target percentage (42.1% to 40%), goal-creating actions (two to one), successful dribbles (five to four) and aerial duels won (19 to 16).
Nunez and Dembele excel at finishing and headed attempts, underlining their attacking ability both on the ground and in the air and these attributes could give Villa a major boost as they look to secure a spot in the top half of the league table.
The £52k-per-week striker hasn’t been at the races this season, scoring just twice, however, this rough patch is surely temporary considering he netted a stunning 21 goals in Ligue 1 last term and a fresh start in England may help him rediscover his form.
The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, therefore Emery could be well placed to secure himself a bargain this month, and with it some well-needed firepower in his Villa side.
