Aston Villa and Sunderland may have been interested in Kevin Viveros before, but the striker is doing a pretty good job of making himself easier to sign next time around.
The Athletico Paranaense star has now received a Colombia call-up after taking his tally to 18 league goals in Brazil. He’s the competition’s outright top scorer, three ahead of the second place.
Sport Witness previously revealed Aston Villa and Sunderland were among the Premier League clubs asking questions about Viveros.
Neither moved for him in the summer. But since then, Viveros has kept scoring – a lot. And his first steps into the Colombia squad could now help with something either club would have to consider if they return for him: getting permission to play in England.
Colombia can help open the Premier League door
Local outlet La FM have looked at Viveros’ situation and believe his Colombia breakthrough could be important if Premier League interest returns.
There’s a good reason for that. Foreign players joining English clubs need a Governing Body Endorsement from the FA. There are different routes to getting one, with 15 points enough under the standard points-based system.
International football is one way of collecting those points. The precise reward depends on Colombia’s aggregated FIFA ranking and how much senior international football Viveros plays during the relevant period. Play enough and there’s even an automatic route.
Otherwise, those appearances can contribute towards the 15-point target. So just getting called up doesn’t magically hand Viveros a Premier League work permit.
Actually getting on the pitch for Colombia, though, can make the maths increasingly friendly for Aston Villa, Sunderland or any other English club considering a move.
His club football helps as well. Brazil’s top flight is classified as a Band 2 competition under the current FA system, and regular minutes there can provide a substantial number of points. And Viveros certainly isn’t struggling for those.
| Statistic | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Clubs | La Equidad, Atlético Nacional | Atlético Nacional, Athletico Paranaense |
| Appearances | 53 | 52 |
| Goals | 12 | 20 |
| Assists | 0 | 6 |
| Goals + assists | 12 | 26 |
| Matches per goal | 4.4 | 2.6 |
18 goals and a call-up
The 26-year-old has scored 18 times in the Brasileirão this season, averaging a goal every 127 minutes. Across all competitions, La FM point out he’s managed 19 goals and four assists in 32 appearances.
Now comes another test. Colombia face Mexico on Saturday before taking on Paraguay and Peru during this international period. There are then two matches against Chile scheduled for November. So Viveros has several opportunities to turn his first call-up into actual senior minutes.
That’s useful on two fronts. International appearances would strengthen his position under the GBE system, while performing for Colombia would hardly hurt his growing reputation either.
Aston Villa and Sunderland already liked what they saw before all of this. Now if either comes knocking again, one of the practical complications surrounding a Premier League move may now be getting a little easier.
