Aston Villa line up Christopher Nkunku swoop! Unai Emery's side initiate contact over surprise move for Chelsea flop before transfer deadline

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Villans are considering a move for the 27-year-old as they look to add attacking quality after a quiet transfer window. The report states the club have 'made contact' with Chelsea, with Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig also interested in the Frenchman.

Villa are yet to score in two Premier League games and attacking depth may be necessary to give more help to the likes of Ollie Watkins. Unai Emery's side drew 0-0 with a Newcastle United outfit without a recognised striker, while relegation-tipped Brentford won 1-0 on Saturday in another disappointing result for the Villans. It remains paramount that Villa hold onto other attacking talent such as Morgan Rogers. From Chelsea's viewpoint, Nkunku is largely seen as surplus to requirements and has been linked with an exit throughout the window.

Fellow Blues striker Nicolas Jackson is also on Villa's list according to Romano, while a return for former loan star Marco Asensio has also been considered. Amidst this latest interest in Nkunku, it seems likely that the Villans are likely to push through with an attacking signing before the window is up.

Aston Villa face Crystal Palace next up at Villa Park and will aim to put things right, potentially with a new face in attack to help Emery's side return to goalscoring form. Nkunku has several admirers and may seal an exit from Stamford Bridge to put an end to an inconsistent spell in west London for the former Leipzig forward.