Kodjia could ultimately cost Villa £15 million, but he could soon repay that fee if he can score goals like this.
Aston Villa fans may not have seen new signing Jonathan Kodjia is action yet, but their appetite will have been well and truly whetted by the goal he scored for Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Villa paid £11 million – in a deal which could ultimately rise to £15 million – for the Bristol City man in the closing stages of the transfer window this week.
The 26-year-old scored 19 goals in 45 Championship appearances for the Robins last term, and Villa have added him to a fearsome-looking attacking line which also includes Rudy Gestede, Ross McCormack and Jordan Ayew.
Kodjia also had one goal from his first two senior Ivory Coast caps, and he made that two from three on Saturday with a brilliant acrobatic effort against Sierra Leone.
The striker’s bicycle kick can be seen in the video below from BeIN Sports, via @African_Soccer.
Jonathan Kodjia’s goal pic.twitter.com/jkWPcEzBTr
— African Soccer (@African_Soccer) September 3, 2016
It was a stunning goal, and one the like of which Villa fans will be hoping to see a lot more of this season.
It is unclear just what Roberto di Matteo’s first-choice front line will emerge as, with Kodjia, Gestede, McCormack, and Ayew all unlikely to fit into the same starting XI.
However, Kodjia will surely be expecting to play a leading role given the fee paid for him and his form in the Championship last season.
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