Aston Villa have decided to join the race to sign the unwanted striker from Italian Serie A outfit.
Aston Villa’s transfer business has yet to begin, but the club has recently been hit with a UEFA fine following their second consecutive financial sustainability rule violation. Consequently, they will have to be wise in spending their budget during this summer transfer window.
Thus, The Lions are considering a move for a relatively inexpensive target. One of them is Atalanta’s unwanted striker, El Bilal Toure. According to a report by Africafoot, Aston Villa are not the only club keen on securing his signature.
“Four Premier League clubs are interested: Fulham, Aston Villa, Everton, and Newcastle United. But the Cottagers have taken the lead.”
El Bilal Toure is under contract with Atalanta until the summer of 2028. He joined La Dea from Almeria in 2023. However, his spell has not gone well despite being part of Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad that won the 2024 Europa League. His first season in Bergamo was largely spent on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, which kept him out for four months.
As a result, he was loaned out twice, to VfB Stuttgart and Besiktas. His spell in Germany was also unsuccessful because of a metatarsal injury. However, Toure improved his form with the Turkish giants. They had an option to buy him but chose not to activate the clause.
His future has become uncertain as La Dea are open to selling him for around £17 million, which is quite affordable for any Premier League side. It is no surprise that several Premier League clubs are monitoring him.
Villa should make a move immediately, as they can offer him a better opportunity than their rivals to develop his game while also competing in the Champions League. Last season, The Toffees were on the verge of signing him in a swap deal involving Beto. However, the deal never materialised.
The 24-year-old forward was in fairly good form with Besiktas last season. He registered seven goals and five assists in 26 appearances across all competitions. Toure can also be deployed as a winger on either flank.
Toure has often stepped up in important games despite not always being a starter. At Atalanta, for example, he provided an assist in the Europa League semi-final against Marseille in the 2023/24 campaign.
At Stuttgart, he scored the winning goal when the Bundesliga side defeated Juventus in the 2024/25 Champions League. During his spell at Almeria, he also made key contributions in big matches. The Mali international scored the winning goal as his team beat Barcelona 1-0 and netted the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid during the 2022/23 season.
Based on data from FotMob, Toure has a fairly high xG of 7.42, while his xA is more modest at 1.93. His pass completion rate stands at 76.4%, while his successful dribble rate is 48.9%. However, his long-ball accuracy is relatively low at 46.2%. Toure’s duel success rate is solid at 50.4%. His defensive contribution could still improve, though. Last season, he made 21 tackles, four interceptions, and 14 clearances.
The post Aston Villa joins the race for the unwanted forward in Italian top flight appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
