Aston Villa chiefs have told a £17 million striker's camp that they want to sign him before deadline day, with the Midlands club also informing his club of their serious interest.
Villa spend £150m on eight major signings to back Unai Emery
Despite concerns surrounding PSR throughout the transfer window, coming after Villa announced a near-£120 million loss for the 2022/23 season, transfer chief Monchi, NSWE and the wider recruitment team have still garnered funds to strengthen Unai Emery's squad.
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Joao Felix is attracting serious interest from Villa Park as well, so the Premier League side may not even be done just yet, having spent £150 million in total on eight major signings so far with weeks of the window still remaining.
Emery's men most recently announced their bold capture of Belgium international midfielder Amadou Onana from Everton, who joined in a £50 million deal from Goodison Park, with the 22-year-old backing himself to go to the "next level" under Emery.
Player
Fee paid
Amadou Onana
£50 million
Ian Maatsen
£38 million
Jaden Philogene
£18 million
Cameron Archer
£14 million
Samuel Iling-Junior
£12 million
Lewis Dobbin
£10 million
Enzo Barrenechea
£7 million
Ross Barkley
£5 million
"I’ll be playing in the Champions League again and that’s very exciting," said Onana (BBC).
"We also have a manager that’s one of the best in the business and I think he can take my game to the next level. Youri [Tielemans] played a big part in me being here because he told me lots of good stuff about the club."
Villa's qualification for the Champions League brings a more congested fixture list and added pressure to succeed for Emery, so reinforcing the squad with needed upgrades is a necessity before 30th August.
To balance the books concerning PSR, Monchi facilitated some high-profile exits, with Moussa Diaby joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad for around £50 million and Douglas Luiz making a move to Serie A giants Juventus.
In total, Villa have brought in around £108 million through player sales, meaning they've registered a net spend of £42 million in what has been a very busy window for them.
Jhon Duran could still leave Villa in the coming weeks as well, so Emery and could will need to source a replacement for the Colombian and bring in a backup for star striker Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa tell Jean-Philippe Mateta's camp they want to sign him
As per Standard Sport journalist Dom Smith, that player could well be Crystal Palace marksman Jean-Philippe Mateta.
It is believed Villa have informed Mateta's camp that they want to sign him for Emery, and they've also told Palace this, coming after he scored 19 goals and registered a further five assists in all competitions last season under Roy Hodgson and then Oliver Glasner.
The Eagles are trying to tie him down with a new contract, as his current deal expires in 2026. Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Torino are also keeping tabs on Mateta, who is currently representing France at the Olympics in Paris.
The 27-year-old scored France's winner against Argentina in their quarter-final clash on Friday, setting up a semi-final tie, with the prospect of an Olympic medal very much alive.
Reports have claimed the forward could cost around £17 million to prise away from Selhurst Park, but it remains to be seen if this will be enough as Palace attempt to secure his future.