Aston Villa has taken urgent action to replace English striker Ollie Watkins, who is close to joining Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal.
In recent days, Al-Hilal has made efforts to finalize the signing of the 30-year-old Watkins, who has expressed his willingness to join the "Asian leader" this summer.
Watkins was absent for Aston Villa's heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton in the first round of the 2026-2027 English Premier League season.
The Athletic reported that Aston Villa has submitted a formal offer to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is under contract with Crystal Palace until the summer of 2027.
The global newspaper added that the offer was not accepted by Crystal Palace's management, noting that the bid is significantly lower than what Crystal Palace demands if they agree to let the player leave.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports reported that Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has requested the club's management to sign Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson, who currently plays for Chelsea.
This deal appears likely to happen, given that the Senegalese player is no longer part of the plans of Chelsea's management and Spanish manager Xabi Alonso.
Aston Villa awaits a difficult home match in the next round against their opponent Arsenal, the English Premier League champions, in a game to be held next Monday.
