Aston Villa are interested in a move to bring Inter Milan forward Joaquin Correa to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Senior attacker required

Following the departure of Danny Ings in January, Unai Emery moved to replace him with Jhon Duran, but being just 19 years of age, the boss is likely to be in the market for a more senior replacement and has identified the 28-year-old as an ideal candidate.

The Argentinian international’s contract at the San Siro isn’t due to expire until 2025, but having made just four starts this season in the Serie A under Simone Inzaghi, has fallen out of favour.

Emery already came close to working with the striker before having arrived at Sevilla shortly after the boss departed in 2016 but it appears that he’s now planning to try and capture him himself.

The Latest: Villa eyeing Correa

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), West Ham United are currently in ‘pole position’ to sign Correa but are set to face ‘competition’ for his signature from Aston Villa.

The Midlands outfit are ‘lurking’ in the background and have already ‘expressed interest’, though it’s made clear that they would have to ‘rebuild him both physically and mentally’.

Inter are reportedly ready to ‘offload’ him in the summer with a sale being sanctioned ‘increasingly probable’, and the two clubs mentioned are ‘very wealthy’.

It’s believed that the attacker ‘wouldn’t mind a different challenge’ regarding a move to England after the last two ‘unforgettable’ seasons.

The Verdict: Potential bargain

Inter Milan wanting to get rid of Correa may mean that they are willing to let him go at a cut price so Aston Villa would be getting a bargain should they secure his services for a reduced fee.

The 6 foot 2 colossus has posted 102 goal contributions (63 goals and 39 assists) in 346 career appearances and ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion, highlighting how prolific he is in the final third and how strong his link-up play is with his fellow teammates.

The Juan Bautista Alberdi would also bring plenty of versatility to Villa Park having played in six different positions since emerging onto the scene, including out wide on both flanks and at centre-forward.

Finally, Correa has been dubbed a ‘formidable’ player by his manager Simone Inzaghi and he has all of the qualities to fit the profile of striker that Emery has been looking for.