TRANSFER: Aston Villa are in talks to sign £34.5m forward following Chelsea deal and West Ham talks

Chelsea was on the verge of signing an Atletico Madrid striker earlier this summer, and now Aston Villa is in talks to sign him.
A few weeks after Samu Omorodion appeared certain to sign a £34.5 million contract with Chelsea, the Villans are apparently in talks to sign him.

The 20-year-old, who recently won an Olympic gold medal in Paris with Spain, finished the previous season with 34 La Liga goals while on loan at Deportivo Alaves. Omorodion joined Atletico from Granada in August 2023 for a reported £5 million, however he has not yet played a senior competitive minute.

Villa is reportedly prepared to spend €35 million (£29.8 million) to sign Omorodion; the sum is expected to be approved, according to Spanish publication ElDesmarque. West Ham United is reported to have undertaken preliminary negotiations, and it is alleged that Chelsea had agreed to pay €40 million before ending the agreement.

Joao Felix is another Atletico player that Unai Emery was eager to sign, but the Portugal international has now committed to Chelsea on a long-term basis. Omorodion, despite having a different kind of game, would be a good fit for Villa as they look to increase Ollie Watkins’ competition.

Jhon Duran is anticipated to remain unless there are any noteworthy late bids, but additional depth would undoubtedly be beneficial. After all, Omorodion is among the most gifted young strikers in Europe and has the potential to surpass Duran as a player.

Raheem Sterling, a former England international, was apparently isolated by Chelsea’s new boss Enzo Maresca, prompting Villa to consider acquiring him. Wage demands are a source of anxiety, yet this is a situation that merits cautious observation.