Aston Villa targeting move for “explosive” £29m star

Aston Villa are set for a big second half of the 2024/25 season. Unai Emery’s side have so far not quite been able to repeat last season’s heroics when they finished fourth. They currently sit eighth in the Premier League, with 32 points to their name, four points behind Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League spot.

They might have to strengthen their side in the January transfer window to help qualify for the Champions League again. Reports suggest they are interested in Oscar Mingueza, and he could be the Villans’ first signing of the window.

They are also believed to be targeting attacking reinforcements this winter.

Aston Villa’s attacking target

The player in question here is 24-year-old Feyenoord winger Igor Paixao. The Brazilian has impressed for the Dutch outfit so far this season, and could now depart the club with several Premier League sides interested.

According to a report from CaughtOffside, Villa are one of the English top-flight clubs considering a move for the winger. The Brazilian, who is yet to be capped for his country, has ‘impressed’ the scouts of the Midlands club, and they could well make a move for him before the window slams shut in February.

However, they will not be the only side trying to sign Paixao over the winter window. Premier League heavyweights Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested, and London pair Tottenham and West Ham have also scouted him.

Outside of England, Roma are also linked with the winger. In terms of a price for the 24-year-old, he could cost anywhere upwards of €35m (£29m).

Why Paixao would be a good signing

It has been a really strong first half of the 2024/25 season for the Feyenoord winger. He has played 24 games across all competitions so far, scoring five goals and grabbing an impressive 13 assists.

The tricky winger went on a run of five assists in as many Eredivisie games across November and December.

In that same time period, he also grabbed an assist against Manchester City in Feyenoord’s incredible 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium, having been 3-0 down. Paixao assisted Slovakian defender David Hancko for the equalising goal.

There is no doubt that the “explosive” winger, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, would add firepower to an attack which already has some excellent players, including Morgan Rogers.

The Villa star has been fantastic for Emery this term and has six goals and four assists in 25 games in all competitions.

Arguably his finest hour this season also came against Pep Guardiola’s City side. Rogers scored and assisted in the Villans’ 2-1 win over his former academy side earlier in the season at Villa Park.

Statistical comparisons between the Villa number 27 and their reported target Paixao can be drawn, with the pair noted to be similar players among those in their position in the Champions League this season, as per FBref.

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The pair have both excellent seasons in the Champions League, and given their similar styles, excellent ball carrying and the ability to churn out chances, are reflected in the stats.

The duo are both creative machines, with the Feyenoord star averaging 2.63 key passes per game and Rogers slightly less, with 1.93. Indeed, their ball-carrying skills are a key feature of their game. Paixao averages 2.11 progressive carries each game with the Villa attacker just edging him, with 2.98 progressive carries.

Paixao vs Rogers – stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Paixao	Rogers
Key passes	2.63	1.93
Expected assists	0.21	0.14
Progressive carries	2.11	2.98
Carries into final third	1.4	1.75
Carries into penalty box	0.88	0.88
Stats from FBref

Should the Villans win the race for Paixao, they would be signing someone who is almost a carbon copy of Rogers, a man Jamie Carragher described as “unstoppable” earlier in the season.