Aston Villa may have slipped into the race for Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto… Even though Wolverhampton Wanderers had been keeping tabs on the player for months.
In an interview with Spanish outlet AS, the Corinthians forward openly discussed the type of striker he sees himself as. And his answer puts Villa in an interesting light.
A specifically suggestive answer
Asked which centre-forward resembles his own style, Yuri Alberto said: “When I played in the Santos academy, people said I had a style similar to Luis Suárez. Now I’m not sure.”
Then he continued: “I like Ollie Watkins a lot, from Aston Villa. He’s a true centre-forward. I like his style. Aston Villa’s style is also very transitional and he is very fast, attacks space well and finishes very well. I really like their style.”
The timing is notable. Wolves had considered him a target under Vítor Pereira. The manager’s past relationship with the player was seen as a possible advantage. With Pereira now gone and the Premier League side still struggling, that angle has evaporated.
Meanwhile, Roma already made a €30m offer in September and are expected to return with stronger terms – even though the deal could climb towards €40m, as we recently covered.
Eyes on his future
The player even addressed the transfer interest directly. Asked about Roma’s summer offer and the fact that English clubs are now following him, he replied: “Yes, returning to Europe is my big dream. When I went to Zenit it was a good idea. A good entry door to Europe, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
Villa’s name had not appeared in the Brazilian reports about the striker’s future. Still, the player himself has now placed the Birmingham club in the conversation. His admiration for Watkins – and for the way Unai Emery sets up his team – naturally draws attention in England.
We already know Aston Villa had scouts in Brazil to watch €35m Cruzeiro striker Kaio Jorge – another product of Santos’ academy like Yuri Alberto. After these flattering words, who knows if the club’s focus shifts a little?
It remains to be seen whether Villa choose to act on this. Yet in a transfer battle where Wolves have lost momentum and Roma are preparing their next move, Yuri Alberto’s own words may reshuffle the deck.
