Aston Villa 'hopeful' after stepping up pursuit amid 'reignited interest' in Portugal international

The January transfer window will slam shut in just four days' time and the pressure is building as Aston Villa strive to add to their squad. Unai Emery's side have signed Kosta Nedeljkovic, who will link up with the club in the summer, but they will be hopeful of landing at least one more player before February 1.

Here's a look at some of the latest transfer stories coming out of Villa Park.

Villa step up interest

Aston Villa have reportedly made a third bid to sign Middlesbrough's Morgan Rogers this month. David Ornstein of the Athletic claims Villa have now submitted an offer in the region of £15m including add-ons, with the club said to be optimistic about their chances of landing the Championship star in the next few days.

The report also claims the 21-year-old is keen to link up with Unai Emery's side, who have been nothing short of persistent in their attempts to bring him onboard. Rogers, a winger by trade, has been a key man for Boro this season, with seven goals and nine assists coming in his 33 appearances in all competitions.

This is his first season at the Riverside Stadium after joining the club from Manchester City's academy ranks in the summer.

Sporting resolve to be tested?

Aston Villa and West Ham United have reignited their interest in Sporting Lisbon's Pedro Goncalves. That's according to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, via Sport Witness, with the report claiming the Premier League duo have been in regular contact with the player's agent of late.

Goncalves has an €80m release clause which might make any deal difficult to do, particularly with Sporting being keen not to lose any of their star names at this point of the season. The 25-year-old, who can play on either wing or through the middle, has started all 18 league games for the club this season, producing six goals and six assists along the way.

He's bagged another four goals in cup competitions this season and while he hasn't made an international appearance since 2021, he has established himself as one of the most exciting talents in Portugal right now.