Report: Aston Villa wanted to sign £33m forward who's 'one of the top 10 players in Europe' this summer
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Aston Villa were incredibly busy on the transfer front this summer, with eight new signings arriving at Villa Park in recent weeks.
Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene, Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Dobbin, Enzo Barrenechea and Ross Barkley linked up with the Villans over the summer.
Now, it has been reported that Villa had their sights on a £33million-valued forward who has previously been deemed “one of the top players in Europe”.
The Villans’ interest would likely have been formalised had Jhon Duran left Villa Park, added the report.
Aston Villa were after Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez
The player in question is Santiago Gimenez, who has been going from strength to strength at Feyenoord since his move from Cruz Azul in 2022.
According to Mexican outlet AM, Villa had the 23-year-old on their list as one of three options if Duran was sold.
In the end, Duran stayed, so the Villans never made a move for Gimenez, who was also on the radar of AC Milan, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid and Nottingham Forest.
Feyenoord reportedly wanted £33million for Gimenez, and only Forest came close to matching this, but the player didn’t want to join a side that had battled relegation the previous season.
Milan were the only major club to make a formal offer, and while the player was interested, the transfer fee was far from the £33million Feyenoord had asked for, added the report.
Who is Villa summer target Santiago Gimenez?
Santiago Gimenez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began his football journey at Mexican giants Cruz Azul, joining their academy and working his way up the ranks.
Feyenoord decided to sign the forward in 2022 for a reported £4.5million, and he has gone on to shine for the Eredivisie outfit.
Gimenez has 53 goals and 13 assists from just 93 Feyenoord appearances overall, and this term, he has four goals and two assists from seven outings.
However, he is currently recovering from a long-term injury that is expected to rule him out for three months.
Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig previously compared the left-footer to Manchester City and Norway Erling Haaland.
Meanwhile, Goal.com claimed last year that Gimenez 'following in the footsteps of (Robin) Van Persie'.
In terms of Gimenez's style of play, Kulig deemed him a 'complete forward' with pace, athleticism, finishing, heading, instinct and movement among his many strengths.
Morris Pagniello, an agent said to be close to Gimenez's family, told MedioTiempo last year that the forward is 'one of the top ten players in Europe'.
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Villa could still move for Gimenez in 2025
Gimenez didn’t leave Feyenoord in the summer, which means Villa could yet move for him again next year if they so wish, though they have to take into account the fact he’s injured at present.
The player’s contract runs until 2027, so while it’s not expiring any time soon, Feyenoord won’t want to leave it too late to cash in on him beyond next summer.
Unai Emery may well want to bolster his ranks further, and for £33million, Villa wouldn’t be breaking the bank for one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards.
