Aston Villa have reportedly secured a deal to sign Gremio winger Alysson in a move worth €12m in total.
The 19-year-old has impressed for the Brazilian outfit this season, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, despite their underwhelming campaign.
Evidently, the Villa scouts have identified a player who they believe possesses real talent and potential, and one who could be an excellent fit for Unai Emery’s plans moving forward.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa and Gremio have sealed a deal for Alysson to make the move to join us next month, and while the transfer is worth an initial €10m, we might pay an additional €2m in add-ons.
It’s fair to say that Alysson remains a raw talent at this stage in his career, and so it will be interesting to see if Emery intends on integrating him and directly overseeing his development in the second half of the campaign.
Conversely, he might be seen as a sensible long-term addition or investment, and so we’ll see if a loan switch makes more sense after he arrives to gain experience and play regularly.
What is clear is that he fits a particular profile that Emery does value given he’s a natural left-footed, right-sided winger, and so it’s an option that we’ve seen the Villa boss use in previous seasons with the likes of Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby.
Should the deal go through as touted, it’s hoped that Alysson can establish himself as a long-term solution and adds an important fresh dynamic to our attacking play moving forward, while he’s also known for his work ethic and defensive qualities too.
Emery noted in his press conference last week that he expects movement in January both in terms of incomings and outgoings, and so it will be interesting to see if we’ll make room for Alysson by moving on a current player, or if the Brazilian ace will complement the options we already have at our disposal.