Aston Villa enter race to sign £40m Malen upgrade

Aston Villa are looking to sign a centre-forward before the transfer window closes in less than two weeks. At present, it all feels very finely poised, with Unai Emery’s side exploring a number of different routes.

Having rebounded from a slow start to the season, Aston Villa have emerged as outsiders in the fight for the Premier League title, currently third in the standings and behind Manchester City only on goal difference.

If the Midlands side are to keep up with the elite outfits around them, Emery recognised the need for more attacking quality.

Of course, with Donyell Malen having been sold to AS Roma for £25m, the need for more depth in the final third has only been deepened, but the Villans do expect to make their move.

Why Aston Villa want to sign a striker

At the top of Emery’s shopping list is Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who emerged as a talismanic force for Oliver Glasner’s side over the past few years.

Those of a Villan persuasion know Tammy Abraham well, and while he is also on the list, a romantic return may not bear the ripest fruit when compared to other targets.

Indeed, there’s one in particular who has gone under the radar, and yet may prove a jackpot signing.

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have emerged as contenders in the growing race to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who looks likely to leave Molineux at some point in 2026, with Wolves headed for the second tier.

Valued at £40m, transfer reporter Ben Jacobs has also reported that Strand Larsen is firmly on Crystal Palace’s radar as they prepare for Mateta’s possible departure.

It feels like these variables could swing in any number of directions, but the Old Gold striker may actually be the pick of the bunch.

Why Villa should sign Strand Larsen

Aston Villa’s decision to sell Malen this month was primarily a financial one, and it was met with a mixed response.

The Netherlands international had scored seven goals from 29 matches in all competitions for the Lions this season, only starting five times in the Premier League, but his overall play left something to be desired, with Emery never quite sure where to field him across the frontline.

However, Malen’s exit has left Emery’s outfit a little light in the final third as they challenge not only at the top of the Premier League but in the Europa League and FA Cup too.

Strand Larsen would be more firmly affixed to the centre-forward spot on Emery’s tactical fabric, with his strength and hold-up play exactly what Emery is looking for.

Mateta might be his competition, but Strand Larsen could actually prove the perfect alternative, one whom the NSWE Group should actually train their sights on first.

The 2025/26 campaign perhaps hasn’t served as the finest marker of Strand Larsen’s quality. Indeed, the powerful striker has been isolated at the front of a team whose future looks set in the Championship. Across 20 matches, he’s only posted one goal and one assist, albeit still seeing a lot of the ball and getting stuck in plenty of duels.

But looking at his metrics from last season, we see that Strand Larsen has a lot to offer, and he might even be the better pick when considered against a positional rival like Mateta.

Mateta has scored eight times in the Premier League this season, but he’s also missed 16 big chances. For a Villa side who don’t create as many chances as the teams around them at the top of the table, such profligacy can be ill-afforded with everything on the line over the coming months.

Strand Larsen, to be sure, has been out of sorts, but his hat-trick against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup earlier this month underlined his ability, reminding observers of the player who was lauded as a physical “monster” by analyst Connor Holden last season.

Ultimately, Emery and his scouting team will have sounded out a number of forwards as the January transfer window drags into the closing stages.

The Spaniard’s eye for talent is a shrewd one, and while Strand Larsen might not be the talk of the town as he struggles within a sinking Wolves ship, there’s no question that the Norwegian has what it takes to score consistently in the Premier League, and in a stable and progressive Villa unit, he might just reach his potential.

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