Unai Emery reportedly wants Aston Villa to sign 24-year-old Brazilian striker Igor Thiago from Brentford in a deal worth £50 million in the winter transfer window.

According to a report by the Daily Mirror, Igor Thiago is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are keen on reinforcing their offensive unit by signing a striker in the winter transfer window. So, the 24-year-old Brentford centre-forward has emerged as a target for the West Midlands outfit.

Unai Emery is the driving force behind Aston Villa’s move for the South American attacker, and the Spanish tactician wants the Villans to launch a bid worth £50 million to secure his services in the winter transfer window.

How has Igor Thiago fared at Brentford?

Igor Thiago has made considerable progress since joining Brentford from Club Brugge in a deal worth £30 million in July 2024. The 24-year-old did not enjoy himself in his debut season, as fitness issues plagued him last term. However, the player has moved on from those struggles, as the departures of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo cleared the way for him to become an undisputed first-choice starter for the West London club.

Thiago has scored 12 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions thus far in the 2025/26 season, and only Erling Haaland has scored more than him in the Premier League. Meanwhile, the Brazilian striker’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several Premier League bigwigs. Aston Villa will be among the prospective suitors vying for his signature in the winter transfer window.

A man in demand

Aston Villa’s interest in Igor Thiago makes sense. The Villans are scouring the market for a striker heading into the winter transfer window, as Ollie Watkins has been dreadful thus far in the 2025/26 season. The English international has barely scored a goal this term, and Unai Emery wants an alternative to his star striker.

Several candidates, including Kaio Jorge, have thus emerged on Aston Villa’s radar, with Thiago also a viable target. Emery is the driving force behind the West Midlands club’s move for the former Club Brugge centre-forward, and he wants the Villans to launch a bid worth £50 million to secure his services.

However, convincing Brentford to part ways with the 24-year-old Brazilian international will be a tall order, considering his importance to the club. It will be interesting to see if Aston Villa can turn the player’s head in the coming weeks.