Aston Villa make approach to sign £22m attacker, may submit bid within days

Aston Villa have now made an approach to sign an “incredible” attacker, and they could submit an opening offer within days, according to a report.

Villa eyeing new attacking midfielder amid Rogers uncertainty

It has been a quiet summer transfer window for Villa up to this point, with Unai Emery’s side doing their best to keep hold of some of their current star players, rather than making any major additions of their own.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers have been the subjects of intense speculation, and interest in the former arguably led to the recent capture of Evann Guessand, with the 24-year-old striker arriving from OGC Nice.

Rogers remains contracted until 2030, meaning the Villans are in a strong negotiating position, and transfer expert Pete O’Rourke believes it will be tricky for a rival club to get a deal over the line.

O’Rourke said: “I think the price tag maybe will put off clubs, because they’ll be looking in excess of £80million.

“It will be a difficult deal to do for Chelsea, and I would expect him to stay at Villa Park this summer.”

While it seems unlikely Aston Villa will sanction Rogers’ departure before the window closes, they have now stepped up their interest in another attacker, namely AC Milan’s Alexis Saelemaekers, who is able to play on both wings and attacking midfield.

That is according to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), which reveals Villa have made contact to discuss a deal, and there is a possibility that an offer could be submitted within a matter of days.

An initial bid may be in the works, and it may not take a substantial amount to get a deal over the line, with it most recently being reported that Milan are looking to receive €25m (£22m).

“Incredible” Saelemaekers catching the eye in the Serie A

Having failed to establish himself as an important player for Milan, the 26-year-old has spent the last two campaigns on loan at rival Serie A clubs, and he was particularly impressive during a spell with AS Roma in the 2024-25 campaign.

Indeed, the Belgian chipped in with seven goals and five assists in 22 Serie A outings, indicating that the attacker may be entering his prime, after failing to score more than four goals in any previous league campaign.

Scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed the maestro “incredible” in the past, and the Milan ace’s recent exploits suggest he may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.

However, Emery’s number one priority this summer should be to keep hold of Rogers, given that it would be very difficult to find a player capable of replicating the Englishman’s attacking numbers from 2024-24.