Aston Villa are being strongly linked with Juventus winger Federico Chiesa as the Italian looks to be nearing the exit door in Turin.
Is Chiesa joining Aston Villa?
After enduring an injury-hit couple of seasons at Juventus, Federico Chiesa could be ready to call time on his career with I Bianconeri. There is a feeling that the attacker's fitness issues have made it impossible for him to fulfil the potential he arrived with from Fiorentina in 2020.
According to some sources, Chiesa has fallen out with Juventus boss Max Allegri and is now looking for a possible escape from the Allianz Stadium in the transfer window, with a host of top clubs seeking his signature.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Aston Villa are "ones to watch" in the race for the 25-year-old's services, suggesting that the club have even made contact with Juventus for the player.
Initially speaking about Newcastle United's links with Chiesa, Jacobs told Steve Wraith: "I think that it's probably more likely at this stage that Aston Villa are the ones to watch because they are pushing a little bit more aggressively than Newcastle at this point."
He later added: "I think Villa have already either made a verbal offer, or at least intimated the direction they want to travel and basically had that deal turned away at this point."
Jacobs suggests that Villa were quickly turned away initially, but only because they did not meet Juventus' valuation of the player.
It is believed that Juventus would expect approximately £52m to part ways with the 41-cap international, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain all considered to have an interest in the forward. Aston Villa may have to move quickly to put themselves at the front of that prestigious queue.
Is Chiesa good enough for the Premier League?
When Chiesa first arrived in Turin from Florence, initially on a two-year loan deal, there was a huge expectation that he would quickly become a superstar. This expectation was undoubtedly made bigger by the fact that the winger is son of Serie A stalwart Enrico Chiesa.
The Italian – who has been hailed a "wizard" – had racked up 59 combined goals and assists after breaking into Fiorentina's team at 19-years-old but his move to Juventus was derailed by injury. The winger missed almost an entire year with a cruciate ligament problem that massively hindered his natural progression.
However, when compared to attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League over the past year, it is obvious why Chiesa is still highly sought after.
Mainly appearing on the left-wing, Chiesa ranks in the top 4% for assists per 90 (0.42), the top 15% for progressive carries per 90 (4.52) and the top 12% for crosses into the penalty area per 90 (0.57). Chiesa is a direct runner and a very creative individual who loves taking shots, even if his goal tally and shot accuracy are not tremendous.
He also puts in a lot of tackles per 90, mostly in the attacking third, showing his willingness to press – something that is crucial in the Premier League.
If he can stay fit, there is no doubt that Chiesa is an incredible talent who could make a host of top English clubs better.