Aston Villa make £26m bid for “world-class” forward after Emery green light
Aston Villa have submitted a £26m bid for a “world-class” forward, with the move receiving the green light from manager Unai Emery.
Villa return to form in victory against Forest
Villa’s 11-game winning run was brought to an end by Arsenal in their final match of 2025, but they kicked off 2026 in very promising fashion, securing a 3-1 victory against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Ollie Watkins continued his improved form in front of goal, scoring for the fourth time in his last three Premier League outings, and Emery was clearly impressed by the performance, saying: “For him it is much, much better. Even when he wasn’t scoring, others were scoring. We need every player focused like him, and doing his task like him.”
The Spaniard then went on to describe the centre-forward as “fantastic”, while Donyell Malen, who has also been utilised at striker this season, has impressed too, chipping in with seven goals in all competitions.
However, with Aston Villa potentially looking to bolster their hopes of making a title push, they are keen to bring in another striker this month, and a €30m (£26m) offer has now been submitted for Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia.
That is according to a report from Spain, which reveals Emery has now given the green light for Villa to make a move for the Spaniard, as he believes the Madrid ace is capable of making an immediate impact at Villa Park.
The Villans want to finalise a deal as quickly as possible, as they are keen to avoid being dragged into a bidding war, and they are confident the offer is high enough to tempt the La Liga club into a sale.
"World-class" Garcia may need to leave Real Madrid
When given the opportunity at Real Madrid, the 21-year-old has often impressed, most recently scoring a hat-trick as his side demolished Real Betis 5-1 in La Liga, while he also caught the eye at the Club World Cup in the summer.
Indeed, the youngster picked up four goals and one assist in six games in the USA, and journalist Zach Lowy believes his performances were top drawer.
However, consistent game time has been hard to come by for the centre-forward, who has largely been used as an impact sub late on in games this season, which suggests he may need to leave Madrid for the good of his career.
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Although Watkins has returned to form as of late, the England international recently turned 30, which means it may be a savvy move to start thinking about potential long-term replacements, and Garcia has proven he could be up to the task.