Aston Villa now in pole position to sign £35m playmaker, Emery's a big fan

Aston Villa are now leading the race to sign AS Roma star Matias Soule, ahead of Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool.

Unai Emery is a big fan of the Argentinian, which is unsurprising given that he has been one of Roma’s most important players in the Serie A this season, regularly getting on the scoresheet and crafting opportunities for his teammates.

Matias Soule’s Serie A season

2,082 minutes played
6 goals
5 assists
42 chances created
21 successful crosses
33 successful dribbles
99 duels won

The 23-year-old is capable of playing in attacking midfield and on the right wing, which could make him an ideal replacement for Morgan Rogers, who continues to attract attention from Manchester United.

Rogers has found the net just once in his last 11 Premier League games, but he remains joint-first in terms of goal contributions for Villa in the Premier League this season, and losing the England international could be a big blow.

Ranking	Aston Villa goals + assists	Number
1	Morgan Rogers	14
2	Ollie Watkins	14
3	John McGinn	8
4	Emiliano Buendia	8
5	Matty Cash	6

Aston Villa leading race for Matias Soule

With Rogers’ future in doubt, Aston Villa have now entered pole position in the race to sign Soule, who is valued at around €40m (£35m) by AS Roma, but there could be competition from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The South American has received major plaudits from scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “Soulé is just generally a really entertaining player to watch. He plays with flair and a level of confidence that’s so engaging. The Argentine has an inevitability about him – he always is looking to make something happen & when he has the ball in certain areas, he will.”

However, amid rival interest from some of the Premier League’s top clubs, qualifying for next season’s Champions League could be imperative if Villa are to win the race for the Roma star’s signature, and they still aren’t quite over the line.

Aston Villa set for exciting finale to the season

Fifth-place Villa are four points clear of nearest-rivals AFC Bournemouth with two games left to play in the Premier League, and with the Cherries set to take on Manchester City in their next match, Emery’s side should be able to get the job done.

Recent form hasn’t been encouraging, having come up short in a 1-0 defeat at Fulham, which was followed up with a 2-1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur and a 2-2 draw against already-relegated Burnley.

However, the Europa League has seemingly been at the forefront of the Villans’ minds, having reached the final, which is due to take place in Istanbul against SC Freiburg on May 20th.