Aston Villa and Newcastle United consider shock January swoop for £16.5m Fulham star

Unai Emery is reportedly keen on acquiring the services of Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Villa are eager to sign a new versatile forward or attacking midfielder to add depth ahead of the second half of the campaign. Pereira fits the bill as he’s capable of playing in central midfield, on the left flank or as a number 10.

Brazilian outlet Trivela reports Villa are among several Premier League clubs interested in Pereira, along with Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur. Olympique Marseille have also been keeping tabs on the 28-year-old’s progress.

Pereira has racked up 97 appearances for Fulham so far, scoring 10 goals and making 15 assists. Before joining the Cottagers in 2022, the midfielder was at Manchester United but he had to go out on loan to Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo to gain regular enough minutes to develop.

Now one of Marco Silva’s key players at Craven Cottage, Pereira is enjoying playing alongside the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Sander Berge, forming handy partnerships in a team hoping to be dark horses for European qualification.

With Fulham the first club to properly allow Pereira to settle, it may be tricky to convince the player to move away. Villa featuring in the Champions League is certainly a strong incentive, though, and Emery has a track record of ensuring players perform at an optimum level.

Newcastle don’t have Champions League football but the project at St James’ Park could prove temping, as could the potential of playing alongside international teammate Bruno Guimaraes. The next transfer window opens in just over two weeks, on January 1, 2025.