According to Corriere Della Sera's Brescia edition (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are eyeing up a potential move for Venezuela international Jhon Chancellor in this transfer window.

What's the word?

Dean Smith's side look to be enjoying a very fruitful time in the transfer market thus far, with a big-money deal for Ollie Watkins already secured, and Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez being lined up too.

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Now, Corriere Della Sera claim that Brescia supremo Massimo Cellino is in England to negotiate with Villa and Watford over Chancellor, and that the centre-back could be someone who brings the Italian side a major profit.

The report does add however that the 28-year-old's preference is to remain in Italy for the time being, and that interested sides face a fight to convince him to move.

Villa's own Van Dijk

After enjoying a stellar couple of seasons at Liverpool, there can be no question that Virgil van Dijk has proved himself to be one of the world's best central defenders, even earning himself a Ballon d'Or nomination in 2019.

The Dutchman's mixture of size, defensive nous and composure in possession has made him a superb acquisition for Jurgen Klopp's side, and Premier League teams are surely looking out for how they can sign their own Van Dijk.

Step forward, Jhon Chancellor. At 6 foot 6, the Venezuelan is an absolute mammoth of a player, and his performances for Brescia last season in Serie A were nothing short of outstanding.

He won 4.0 duels per match and made 5.4 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game too. Add to that the fact he also boasted an impressive passing accuracy of 86%, and it's clear to see he's got all the hallmarks of the modern day centre-back.

Compare that to Villa star Tyrone Mings, and it paints another favourable picture. The England international produced significantly lower numbers in those same categories than Chancellor: he won just 3.2 duels, and made only 0.9 interceptions and 0.5 tackles per match, with a passing accuracy 78%.

If Villa want to make a statement signing for their defence, then Chancellor is the man.