Aston Villa prepare ambitious offer for Portuguese star who stunned Arsenal with 46-yard wonder strike

Aston Villa are heavily interested in signing Sporting Lisbon attacker Pedro Goncalves at the end of the season, according to reports. 

It’s no secret that Unai Emery is looking to add more goal scorers to his side this summer and the 24-year-old could prove to be an excellent addition.

Sporting are unlikely to let Goncalves star man go easily, but a sizeable summer offer from Villa may convince the Portguese giants to sell.

The Portugal international scored a sensational goal against Arsenal last Thursday, catching Aaron Ramsdale off his line from 46 yards out.

Goncalves was a top performer for Sporting over two legs against the Gunners, helping them progress to the Europa League quarter-finals, proving he has the ability to perform at the highest level.

The attacker has scored 17 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions this term, as well as making nine assists, giving him an impressive average of 0.66 goal contributions per game.

A versatile player, Goncalves has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger on either flank, so he could potentially provide quality cover in several positions for Villa.

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Villa set to table offer for Goncalves

According to reports coming out of Portugal, Villa are considering making an offer of around €40m (approx. £35.1m) for Goncalves. 

As mentioned, Emery is keen to add attacking reinfrocements to his squad ahead of next season as he looks to guide his team to the top of the Premier League table.

When Danny Ings joined West Ham United in January, the Villains lost one of their most consistent goal scorers, so there is a clear need to replace him this summer.

While Goncalves isn’t a striker, he has certainly proved this season that he can find the net.

The Sporting star would also arguably be an upgrade on the likes of Leon Bailey, Emiliano Buendia amd Philippe Coutinho who have struggled for consistency this term.

Also, as a 24-year-old, Goncalves still has plenty of time to get even better than he already is, especially with a top-class coach like Emery guiding him.

The attacker’s contract at Sporting is valid until 2026, with a release clause of €80m (£70.2m) belived to be included in the deal. 

It seems unlikely that Villa would be willing to trigger his release clause and therefore they will have to try and negotiate a smaller fee with Sporting.

With that in mind, Emery and co will have to hope that their reported offer of €40m will be enough to convince the Portuguese giants to sell Goncalves. 

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