Aston Villa’s attacking output this season has been somewhat disappointing so far. According to Sofascore, Unai Emery’s side have scored just 30 goals in the Premier League this term, which is the joint eighth-best in the entire division.
That number could have been so much higher if they had not failed to score 44 big chances, which is the third worst in the Premier League. They also miss the target quite a lot, with just 4.3 of their shots finding the target each game.
Despite the firepower they have in attacking areas, it is not really clicking for the Villans in front of goal. With that in mind, it might not be too much of a surprise that they are linked with a new striker.
Aston Villa's search for a forward
The player in question here is Tidiam Gomis, a striker for French Ligue 2 side Caen. The youngster is making waves across Europe, and could well depart the club during the January transfer window.
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Now, according to a report from French news outlet L’Equipe, Monchi and Co have already begun direct talks regarding a potential move for the teenager. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and at this stage, it is not clear if they will try and sign him now or wait until the summer when they can get him on a free.
However, the English side will not be the only club that are chasing his signature. According to Florian Plettenberg, the Frenchman is also wanted by German outfit RB Leipzig and Italian giants AC Milan.
Why Gomis would be a good signing
There is plenty of hype around 18-year-old Gomis, and he has already impressed at first-team level despite only being a short way into his career. The young French attacker has four goals and two assists for Caen in 36 appearances, after coming through their academy.
This term he has looked sharp and has two goals and two assists in 17 games in Ligue 2 for the club, who are majority owned by France star Kylian Mbappe.
The France under-19 international, who has four goals in 11 appearances at that age-group level, is certainly highly rated in the footballing world. Plettenberg, as noted above, was complimentary of him, calling him a “top talent”.
Indeed, his stats on Sofascore reflect the quality of the player who Villa are signing. In Ligue 2 this season, Gomis has started 11 times, taking 1.7 shots per game and creating two big chances. He also works hard off the ball making 3.2 ball recoveries per game.
Stat
Number
Shots per game
1.7
Big chances created
2
Dribbles completed per game
1.4
Duels won per game
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
3.2
Signing a teenage forward with lots of potential is a move that has worked perfectly for Villa in the past. Back in 2023, the Midlands club signed Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire for £18m, when he was 19 years of age.
It is fair to say that the investment in the young Colombian centre-forward has worked out perfectly for the Villans. He has been a revelation for Villa and now has 20 goals in 75 games.
However, he has played just 2205 minutes, which equates to 24.5 full 90 minutes, leaving him with a fantastic goals-to-game ratio.
He is well-loved by his teammates, too. 2022 World Cup winner and Villa’s first-choice goalkeeper Emi Martinez explained in September that he believes the Colombian can become “one of the best strikers in the world”.
Signing a raw talent in the January transfer window has clearly worked out for Villa before, and it seems like they could repeat the masterclass again this year. There is even less risk with this deal because Gomis could join the club for free in the summer if they decided to wait.
For a small fee, this could be a wise move for Monchi to make as the Villans look to boost their attacking options and make a real success of the second half of the season.
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