Aston Villa have now burst into the race for a "special" player who is expected to cost over £60m, according to a report.

Villa locked in transfer battles with Newcastle

With Villa and Newcastle both set to compete in Europe next season, it is no surprise the two clubs are shopping in similar talent pools, and they are battling it out for the signature of FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who is protected by a £85m release clause.

The Villans' pursuit of a new striker comes amid doubts over Ollie Watkins' future, with Sky Sports recently revealing that Manchester United are now exploring the conditions of a potential deal for the England international.

However, striker is not the only position in which Unai Emery is looking to strengthen, with the manager also setting his sights on a new winger, according to a report from talkSPORT.

The report states that Aston Villa have now burst into the race for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, with the Sweden international also being targeted by Newcastle, and widespread recent reports have suggested the Magpies are in advanced talks.

Villa are now set to compete for Elanga's signature, however, having conducted checks on the Forest star, but a deal is likely to be on the expensive side, with their Premier League rivals set to hold out for a fee in excess of £60m.

Forest have no desire to sell one of their key players, having already knocked back a £45m bid from Newcastle, which means Emery's side will need to be willing to spend big to get a deal over the line.

"Special" Elanga could excel at Villa Park

The former Manchester United man has gone from strength-to-strength since leaving Old Trafford, playing a key role in Forest securing survival in the 2023-24 campaign, before going on to feature in every Premier League game last season.

As such, the 23-year-old clearly has the talent to excel at Villa Park, but there are doubts over whether NSWE would be able to justify an outlay of over £60m+ outlay, considering they are currently looking to sell the women's team to avoid a PSR breach.

Should Watkins complete a move to Man United, Villa should have money to spend, but the number one priority at that point would surely be to bring in a new striker, having also lost Jhon Duran in the January transfer window.

Consequently, even though Elanga has been lauded as "special" by Forest boss Nuno, there are doubts over whether the right-winger would be a necessary signing for the Villans, and a move to St. James' Park may be more attractive, as Champions League football is on offer.