Aston Villa Pursue Rafael Leao as Deadline Day Approaches

Aston Villa have stepped up their pursuit of AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, making a formal approach for the Portugal international as Unai Emery scrambles to rebuild a forward line stripped of its stars.

Talks are under way between Villa and Milan, with both clubs now locked in negotiations as the September 1 Deadline Day looms. Leao is understood to be open to the move, and Villa are treating the deal as a priority rather than a luxury.

This is not a speculative enquiry. It is a serious push for a player long linked with a Premier League switch.

Villa move as Watkins future hangs over club

The timing is no coincidence. Villa’s need up front has become urgent.

Ollie Watkins’ future remains uncertain, with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in talks to sign the England striker. At least one bid has already been rejected, but the saga is clearly affecting matters at Bodymoor Heath.

Watkins was left out of the match-day squad for the 4-0 defeat at Brighton on Sunday. Asked afterwards why his main striker was missing, Emery’s response to Sky Sports was tellingly terse: “Ask him. I only can answer it by silence.”

Reports since have suggested Watkins returned to training on Monday and apologised to his team-mates for his absence, yet the episode underlined the fragility of Villa’s attacking options at a time when the season is just getting started.

Against Brighton, that fragility was brutally exposed. With Watkins unavailable and both Tammy Abraham and 17-year-old Brian Madjo out injured, Emery was forced to improvise. Emi Buendia and Ross Barkley were pressed into service as makeshift forwards in a game that quickly turned into a humiliation.

The need for a genuine, top-level attacker is obvious. Leao fits the brief.

Leao as the new focal point

Leao, 27, brings the kind of flexibility Villa have just lost. Last season he scored nine goals and provided three assists in 29 Serie A appearances for Milan, operating both as a central striker and from the left.

He can play as a centre forward, a second striker or wide on the left. That mirrors the versatility Morgan Rogers gave Emery before his departure and offers the same direct running, ability to drive at defences and threat from all angles around the box.

Villa’s Europa League-winning core has been steadily dismantled over the summer. Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have all gone. Watkins and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could yet follow.

The squad has lost quality and personality. Emery needs not just bodies, but a new star to carry the attack. Leao, even with his reputation having dipped slightly in recent seasons, has that ceiling.

His stock in the wider game is not what it once was, but Emery has already shown what he can do with players whose careers are at a crossroads. Look at the transformation of Marcus Rashford under his guidance in the past. The template is there.

Villa can put serious weight behind their pitch. They can offer Champions League football, a guaranteed prominence in the starting XI and the kind of platform in the Premier League that can relaunch a career and restore a global profile. For Emery, Leao plugs a glaring, star-level gap. For Leao, it is a chance to become the main man again.

On paper, it suits both.

‘An incredible signing’ – Begovic backs Leao for England

One man who knows exactly what Villa would be getting is former AC Milan and Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Speaking on Sky Sports, he did not hold back.

“This wouldn't be good news, it'd be great news for Villa fans! Rafael Leao would be an incredible signing.

“I have played with him. I have seen the potential, pace, power and skill.

“He will be super suited to the Premier League. His game, the talent he has and the physical attributes he has will suit the Premier League.”

Begovic pointed to the environment Leao grew up in at Milan, and how the club’s instability in recent seasons has affected him.

“At Milan, he came through the ranks and really developed. He had good senior players and had consistency. Things started to change, a lot of managers started to change.

“It hasn't helped his consistency. Everyone has played him slightly differently.”

That, in Begovic’s eyes, is where Emery comes in.

“Look at Unai Emery and what he has done to some of the players at Aston Villa.

“Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, taking their careers to the next level.

“Rafael Leao, working with Emery and getting the opportunity to be the main player at Villa, it would be huge.”

A defining move in a turbulent window?

Villa’s summer has been chaotic. Key figures have gone, results have already taken a hit, and the Watkins situation hangs over everything. Yet within that turbulence lies an opportunity.

Secure Leao before the window closes and Emery gains a new attacking leader, someone capable of reshaping the front line in his image.

Miss out, and Villa head into the heart of the season relying on patched-up solutions and uncertainty around their main striker.

With Deadline Day fast approaching, this is no longer just another rumour. For Aston Villa, and for Rafael Leao, it feels like a decision that could shape the direction of the entire campaign.