A reliable club journalist has hinted that Aston Villa might return for an explosive former target, with manager Unai Emery scouring for talent that will enhance his team’s prospects of climbing the Premier League table under his tutelage. 

Discussing Villa’s prospective moves in the coming months, BirminghamLive reporter Ashley Preece confirmed that Watford’s Ismaila Sarr is likely to be a name the owners look at when considering which foray into the market will bring success to the club. 

He said:

“Sarr, yes, one we've spoken about a few times and, obviously, a player put to Villa by Johan Lange before that deal collapsed at the 11th hour. Villa do lack a Sarr-type in attack and it’s an area Emery wants to add to.”

Sarr would certainly be an acquisition of the right calibre for the Claret and Blue, with Emery, a four-time Europa League winner, eyeing a steady ascension up the ladder in search of success. 

Aston Villa had all but confirmed a deal for the Senegalese international in August, agreeing to a £25m fee for the player before withdrawing their bid at the final stage, citing a variety of hurdles. 

However, with the player scoring six goals and providing three assists from 17 outings in the Championship this season, remaining with the relegated Hornets, Emery appears to be enticed and could urge the club to table a fresh bid.

Capable of playing across the forward line, Sarr’s dynamism and pace would be a fine addition to any team looking to inject impactful additions.

The 51-cap Senegal international scored one goal during his nation’s group phase, a penalty during the pivotal 2-1 victory over Ecuador, and will likely see his stock rise if he can perform against England in the first knockout phase of the tournament. 

Once labelled as “electric” by journalist Rob Blanchette, Sarr would certainly bring an added dimension to the Villa attack, which has already shown signs of spluttering to life since the departure of Steven Gerrard.

As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old has recorded a rating of 7.27 in Qatar, mustering 3.0 shots per outing and proving to be a consistent thorn in the side of his opposition. 

His 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 1.3 possessive reclaims per match also furthers the argument that he could thrive under Emery, with the player having “stepped up” recently. 

Whether Watford are prepared to part with their phenom with the club sitting five points outside of automatic promotion to the Premier League will become clearer as the January transfer window draws closer, but with a frightening skill set only improving, he could be a dangerous force once more in the Premier League if Emery was to swoop.