Christoph Monschein could be on his way to the Premier League with Dean Smith’s Aston Villa eyeing the Austrian Bundesliga striker.
Aston Villa are looking to take advantage of Austria Vienna’s financial problems to land star striker Christoph Monschein for a bargain £4.3 million, according to Sport24.
Villa might have spent over £100 million in preparation for their Premier League return over the summer but, with the January window looming large, there are still a couple of key areas where the Midland giants need to strengthen.
Dean Smith’s side are lacking a natural goalscorer with big-money summer signing Wesley Moraes proving rather hit-and-miss. Jonathan Kodjia, meanwhile, has struggled off the bench in the odd cameo while Keinan Davis’s injury issues haven’t helped matters.
According to reports on the continent, though, Villa have identified the in-form Monschein as the sort of signing who could help them avoid the drop in the second half of the campaign.
Monschein might have been overshadowed by the likes of Erling Braut Haaland and Shon Weissman in the Austrian Bundesliga but he does have 13 goals in 18 games in all competitions, plus seven assists.
Austria Vienna are in the midst of a financial nightmare, however, and could be forced to cash in on the 27-year-old for as little as £4.5 million – a pocket-change fee for Villa’s wealthy owners.
Villa have discovered already this season, after signing Wesley from Club Brugge, that it’s not an easy task for a striker to step up to Premier League level despite scoring goals for fun in a much less high-profile league.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
