Fabrizio Romano: Aston Villa phone Real Madrid and Man Utd over striker deals

Aston Villa‘s search for attacking reinforcements has taken them all the way to the very top of the game, with the Midlands club making contact with both Real Madrid and Manchester United to enquire about possible striker signings.

The urgency stems from the growing likelihood that Ollie Watkins leaves before deadline day. Al-Hilal have already had one £45m offer rejected for the forward, but the Saudi club are refusing to back down and have reportedly agreed personal terms with Watkins as they look to replace the departing Karim Benzema, leading Unai Emery to admit there is a possibility his talisman leaves.

“We have an issue with him, it’s clear. He is our player. We have had offers for him,” said Emery. “I don’t want to sell him but it can change because if it’s a good option for him and the club and I can replace him in the squad, this is the routine we have and we did before with the players who are leaving.

“With Ollie, he is here, for me he is a fantastic striker, we have always believed in him. Now he is our player, there are 10 days more or less to finish the transfer window, we will see what happens, I’m happy with him, if he is staying with us he will continue playing his level.

That has left Villa needing a replacement lined up fast, and Nicolas Jackson has emerged as their leading target. The Chelsea striker, valued at around £65m, is well known to Emery from their time together at Villarreal, and with the Senegalese forward also keen on an exit before the window closes, it looked to be a straightforward swap.

Except it isn’t that simple. Tottenham have now launched a move of their own for Jackson, opening direct talks with Chelsea over a deal as Roberto De Zerbi continues to reshape his forward line following the additions of Savinho and Omar Marmoush. With Spurs also circling, Villa can no longer count on Jackson as a guaranteed solution.

That uncertainty appears to have prompted Villa to explore other options, and according to Fabrizio Romano, they’ve been busy working the phones – making contact with Manchester United and Real Madrid over deals for Joshua Zirkzee and Endrick.

On Zirkzee, Romano revealed on his YouTube channel: “Italian clubs calling. I’m told there was a call, just a call at the moment, no bid, no negotiation, but just a call, also from Aston Villa. Why Aston Villa? Why? Because Al Hilal are expected to return to the table for Ollie Watkins.”

On Endrick, the update was more discouraging: “Aston Villa made a call two weeks ago, but the answer from Real Madrid was always no chance.”

The numbers help explain why Jackson remains Villa’s clear first choice. He played by far the most minutes of the three last season and offers the most reliable goal return as well as more proven Premier League experience.

Zirkzee’s struggles for regular football at United are laid bare by his total lack of end product. Endrick, by contrast, looks the most explosive of the trio in the numbers, but his lack of minutes behind Real Madrid’s front line means question marks remain over his readiness for a starting role in England.

It shows the scale of Villa’s contingency planning, even if neither approach appears close to bearing fruit at this stage. For now, Jackson remains the priority, and Villa are still seen as leading the race despite Tottenham’s interest. But with Watkins’ future uncertain, a north London rival sniffing around Jackson, and both Zirkzee and Endrick unlikely to move quickly, Emery may find himself with limited time and limited options to get his attacking plans in place before deadline day.