Aston Villa are expected to make a move for a new talisman before the conclusion of the January transfer window on Tuesday, and could move for LOSC Lille phenom Jonathan David.

Having sold centre-forward Danny Ings to West Ham United for £15m last week, Villan manager Unai Emery will indeed be aiming to wrap up a deal for a worthy replacement to spearhead the charge towards prominence in the Premier League once again.

While an £18m deal for 19-year-old forward Jhon Duran has been tied up this month, the Columbian gem is viewed as a long-term investment having signed from American MLS outfit Chicago Fire and still perching in the maiden period of his professional career.

With a move for David, who has been sensational in the French Ligue 1 since his arrival from Belgian outfit Gent in 2020, Villa could seal a deal for a highly sought forward with blistering pace, fierce physicality and a remarkable goal record.

Immobile 2.0

With Ings now gone, it would be a major surprise to see Villa see out the remainder of the January transfer window without securing the signature of a new first-rate forward.

While Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele has been touted with a move to Villa Park, pushing for the signing of Lille's David could be the deal that serves as the catalyst for success under Emery's sagely tutelage.

This season alone, the Canadian sensation has scored 13 goals and provided four assists from 21 appearances, following on from a preceding term that saw him plunder 19 strikes across all competitions.

And with a resounding record for his national team - 22 goals from 38 caps - it is clear that the ace would bring an offensive calibre that could slot right into Emery's blossoming system.

As per FBref, the "phenom" - as hailed by Tony Marinaro - ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, which further adds fuel to the fire surrounding his prospective transfer, with a ball-playing aptitude only going to benefit Emery's tactical set-up, putting emphasis on the counter-attack and swift transitional play.

The 23-year-old is a comparable player to prolific Lazio talisman Ciro Immobile, who has scored a remarkable 190 goals from 277 appearances for the Italian Serie A outfit.

With David averaging 1.9 shots over the course of his career, and the robust Immobile averaging 3.0, as per Whoscored, if the former can channel his output and turn the gear up in front of the net, he too could find success with regularity at Aston Villa.

Whether Emery manages to secure his man, who is valued at €50m (£44m) by his French side, remains to be seen, but a deal would represent a major play of the cards in English football and could be the catalyst for future success.