Aston Villa have had an up-and-down season in 2024/25 so far, and are perhaps not achieving what might have been expected of them in the Premier League. Unai Emery’s side are currently seventh in the Premier League, with 25 points to their name.
They are currently three points outside the top four, which is where BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty expected them to finish. At the start of the season, he predicted that ‘they will stay in the top four’, and whilst there are still plenty of games left, they do need to start picking up consistent points.
If they fail to secure Champions League football for next season, attracting big-name signings next summer may be a tough port of call. They may have to think smarter in the market and have been linked with one under-the-radar addition.
Aston Villa chasing new striker
The player in question here is Greek striker Stefanos Tzimas. The attacker is currently on loan at Nurnberg in the 2. Bundesliga, joining from Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki, and has impressed so far.
According to a report from Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, several Premier League clubs have taken note of his impressive performances so far. Villa are one of those clubs and could go up against Chelsea and Newcastle United for his signature.
However, there is a caveat to the deal. Tzimas has an optional buy clause in his loan deal which the German side plan to activate this summer. He will join for £14.8m, but will reportedly be immediately sold.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As Plettenberg states in his report, Nurnberg hope to make upwards of £4.1m in profit by selling the 18-year-old. That means he could cost around £19m to buy in 2025 in what could be one of the more confusing deals of the year.
Why Tzimas would be a good signing for Aston Villa
There is no doubting Tzimas’ talent as a striker. Although he is only 18 years of age, his ability is shining through. Already, he has seven goals and two assists in 13 games in the second tier of Germany this term.
He also made a fantastic impact for PAOK during the 2023/24 campaign. He managed to score four goals and grab one assist in 26 games, and whilst that may not seem like an incredible contribution, he played just 438 minutes. That equates to 4.8 full 90-minute games, which is a great return.
Interestingly, the 18-year-old has scored as many league goals as Ollie Watkins has this season, and one more than the much talked about Jhon Duran, who has six to his name. With his seven league goals this term, no Villa player has found the back of the net more than Tzimas has for Nurnberg.
Indeed, a move away from Villa Park for Duran could be on the cards. Spanish reports back in November previously suggested that he is a target for French giants Paris Saint Germain, who could make a move in January.
Well, whilst any transfer for Tzimas to the Villans could not materialise until the summer due to his complicated loan in Germany, they could target him as the Colombia international’s long-term replacement.
Not only do Tzimas’ goalscoring numbers stack up well against Duran, but so do his underlying stats via FBref. Per 90 minutes in league football this season, the Greek striker averages 0.18 goals per shot and 0.32 goal-creating actions. In comparison, the Villa striker averages 0.23 goals per shot and 0.18 goal-creating actions each 90 minutes.
Goals per shot
0.18
0.23
Expected goals
0.61xG
0.69xG
Shots on target
2.65
2.2
Shot-creating actions
2.65
2.56
Goal-creating actions
0.32
0.18
It is certainly positive for Villa that they may have found a ready-made Duran replacement. Tzimas would have the opportunity to learn from Watkins, who has clearly helped his Colombian teammate become so deadly in front of goal, and Emery would hope he can help the Tzimas too.
Described as a “monster in the making” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it could be a fantastic budget signing for Villa for the present and the future.
Emery must drop 5/10 Aston Villa dud who gave away the ball 14 times
Emery must drop 5/10 star who cost Aston Villa against Forest
ByConnor HoldenDec 15, 2024