Aston Villa ‘join’ race for £30m striker amid Newcastle United interest

Aston Villa are looking to bolster their attacking options this summer and have now thrown the hat into the ring for Espanyol striker Raul De Tomas, according to Fichajes.

Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings haven’t quite managed to meet expectations since the latter’s move to Villa Park last summer and they could now look elsewhere to add firepower to their front three.

De Tomas has caught the eye of a number of Premier Leagu eclubs after helping Espanyol win promotion to La Liga before scoring 17 goals last season, with only Karim Benzema and Iago Aspas netting more.

The Spaniard’s form has led to recent interest from Aston Villa, however Steven Gerrard’s side will face competition from Everton, West Ham and Newcastle United for his signature.

De Tomas joined Espanyol in 2020 for £20.5 million and the Spanish club will be eager to make some profit on their forward, with it reported that he could cost around £30m this summer.

However, after already spending almost £50m on Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho, Newcastle World have claimed that Aston Villa will need Espanyol to lower their demands if they are to pursue a move for the striker.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are also said to be interested in keeping De Tomas in Spain and both teams could have an advantage over Villa if the 27-year-old wants to remain in his home country.

De Tomas hasn’t said much on his future but has hinted at a potential departure.

Speaking during an interview with RAC1 earlier this year, the Spain international said: “There will be clubs that are interested, my own club may want to sell or keep me.

“This is a game. Transfer windows are like this.”