'Leading the race' - Fabrizio Romano drop huge Aston Villa transfer update in wonderkid striker chase
Aston Villa are in the market for a promising Dutch footballer
Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa are reported to be in talks to sign highly-rated teenage striker Zépiqueno Redmond this summer.
Villa sold promising youngster Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr for a figure in the region of £64m in January, leaving them short on options in the striker department, with Ollie Watkins being the team’s only natural starting centre forward.
The West Midlands outfit are keen to sign a young understudy that can impact games from the bench in a similar manner to Duran while providing fresh competition for leading scorer Watkins in the 2025/26 season which looks destined to feature at least some form of European football once again.
Fabrizio Romano shares Aston Villa transfer update
Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Aston Villa are in talks to sign Feyenoord talent Zepiqueno Redmond - A player that Romano describes Redmond on X as a striker with ‘important potential.’
Villa are believed to be the front-runners in the race to land the promising Netherlands Under-19 attacker, but the report states that the club are likely to have strong competition from a number of English Premier League and Italian Serie A clubs that are still yet to make a concrete decision on whether to pursue the promising striker.
Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Bournemouth are tipped by Football Insider to be two of the interested parties from the Premier League forthe Rotterdam-born star , who could be the latest talent off the production line at Feyenoord, with Jurrien Timber, Lutsharel Geertruida, Orkun Kokcu and Crysencio Summerville all graduating from the club’s academy in recent years.
Redmond is crucially out of contract this summer and is yet to agree a new contract with Robin van Persie’s side, making him potentially a huge bargain.
Who is Zepiqueno Redmond?
Redmond is an 18-year-old attacker that has been in the ranks of Feyenoord since 2019. He’s primarily a centre forward but has proven throughout his career that he’s also capable of thriving on the left wing when called upon. Redmond has represented the Netherlands at Under-16, Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 level and has 26 caps in total across all those age groups with a return of three goals.
He’s also scored 11 in 22 games at Under-17 level for Feyenoord and a further 16 goals in 43 matches for the Under-18s. He’s made just nine first team appearances for Feyenoord, scoring two times in a cup game against MVV Maastricht, in a career which has so far seen him only start four professional games. He did, however, make an impression against AC Milan during a 1-1 when starting a last 16 play-off in the Champions League.
Overall, Redmond has made nine appearances at first team level and has caught the eye with his exceptional sprint speed, dribbling ability and desire to run in behind and stretch opposition defences. He’s a talent that would only add to Villa’s exisitng up and coming option of Louis Barry, who impressed on loan at Stockport earlier in the year, and Rory Wilson, who has shown promise since joining from Rangers at academy level.