Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Group A - Qatar v Senegal - Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar - November 25, 2022 Senegal's Boulaye Dia in action with Qatar's Karim Boudiaf REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Aston Villa are one of the clubs interested in making a move for Senegal and Villarreal attacker Boulaye Dia, according to a new transfer rumour from Italy.
The Lowdown: Dia a World Cup regular
The 26-year-old is part of Senegal’s squad at the current World Cup and he started his country’s first two group stage matches.
Dia scored once in those outings, finding the net in the 3-1 victory over hosts Qatar, and he has also won two aerial duels per game prior to today’s make-or-break showdown against Ecuador.
The forward, who is currently on loan at Serie A club Salernitana from Villarreal, has been linked with a move to Leeds United, although the Whites are not the only Premier League club to have been mentioned in tandem with Dia.
The Latest: Villa linked with Dia
According to Tutto Salernitana [via Sport Witness], the World Cup is a ‘showcase’ and ‘hour of truth’ for Salernitana in terms of their players impressing on the biggest stage.
Villa are credited with an interest in Dia, raising the possibility of a reunion with Unai Emery after their time together at Villarreal, although there is also the prospect of him signing permanently for the club where he is currently on loan.
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The Verdict: Would it work?
The main question mark surrounding this rumour is whether or not Emery would want Dia at Villa, considering that the 51-year-old was willing to loan him out at Villarreal.
Should his opinion have changed regarding the Senegalese, though, he could be a shrewd addition to the attack, having already scored six goals in 14 appearances for Salernitana.
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Dia could bring something different to what Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins offer, given his aforementioned aerial prowess – for comparison, Ings has only won 0.9 headers per game in the Premier League this season.
The Senegal striker shouldn’t be too expensive either, considering that his Transfermarkt value is a very affordable €12m (£10.3m).
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