Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has asked NSWE to sign Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi this month.

The Lowdown: Muriqi profiled

Muriqi, labelled as ‘dominant’ in the air by Smarterscout, is an out-and-out centre-forward who stands at 6 foot 4. A Kosovo international, the 28-year-old has scored 119 goals during his career for club and country and is his country’s record scorer.

He made a permanent move to Mallorca from Lazio over the summer following a successful loan spell, but it looks as if he could be on the move again in 2023.

The Latest: Transfer update

One Spanish outlet shared an update regarding Muriqi in the last 48 hours, claiming that Emery wants the player to become the club’s leading forward.

Emery is insisting on the signing, with Villa already making a €20m offer which was turned down. They may need to increase that to up to €30m to improve their chances.

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The Verdict: Smart move?

Muriqi has been in fine form in La Liga during the current campaign, scoring eight times in 13 games. He's also been Mallorca's best-performing player, as per WhoScored, winning three Player of the Match awards.

You can see why Emery is after a new forward as well, with Villa scoring just 19 goals in 17 Premier League fixtures, with Danny Ings netting five times and Ollie Watkins three times.

Therefore, a move for Muriqi may prove to be a smart one and the powerful striker could give Emery a new option alongside the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.