Aston Villa have been linked with a summer move for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa, with the club reprotedly not put off by the asking price for him.
How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored?
The 25-year-old has arguably been one of Serie A's leading wide players in recent years, excelling with his pace, directness and end product for both club and country.
Chiesa has scored 22 goals and registered 20 assists in 94 appearances for Juve, while for Italy, he has netted five times in 42 caps, winning Euro 2020 after victory over Wembley in the final in 2021.
Last season was a frustrating one for him, however, as he only managed to find the net twice in the league, as injuries restricted his playing time and he struggled to find rhythm when he did play.
The Italian still has two years remaining on his current Juve deal, but it could be that the Serie A giants see now as the best time to move him on, before his price tag starts diminishing closer to the expiration of his contract – they are also in financial trouble, having been deducted points last season due to multiple FFP breaches.
This is where Villa come into play, as the club continue to be hugely ambitious in the summer transfer window, with a potential move for Chiesa looking seriously on the cards.
What's the latest on Chiesa to Villa?
According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Juve's €60m (£51m) valuation of Chiesa "does not scare" Villa, and the same also applies with the player's wage demands, which are likely to be high.
The "ambitious" project going on at Villa Park is mentioned in the report, with Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres already coming from Leicester City and Villarreal this summer respectively, and other high-profile new faces also expected to come in.
There is a possible issue regarding the transfer, though, with Chiesa not necessarily wanting to join a "second-tier" Premier League side, which Villa are considered part of in the context of this report, considering they haven't qualified for the Champions League or the Europa League next season.
Chiesa could be a fantastic signing for Villa if they manage to entice him to the club this summer though, coming in as a genuine statement addition, considering his current standing in the game, having been hailed as a "world-class" player by former Italy international Alessandro Pierini in the past.
Granted, he has been dogged by injury problems in recent times, which could lead to some trepidation surrounding Villa signing him, but he is still relatively young and there is no reason why he can't shrug off the issues moving forward.
Chiesa's pedigree as a footballer is undeniable, given his aforementioned Euro 2020 triumph and the fact that he has scored 38 goals and also chipped in with 39 assists in Serie A, showing that he can be a reliable provider of end product in one of the toughest leagues in the world.
He could take Villa up a significant gear if the deal goes through, acting as an upgrade on even single wide option at the club currently, although whether he is happy to join a club not dining at Europe's top table remains to be seen.
