Aston Villa eye summer move for Rowe who is easily an upgrade on Sancho | OneFootball

Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Bologna forward Jonathan Rowe this summer as the Villans look to bolster the squad for gaffer Unai Emery, per The Telegraph.

The Villains are keen on adding wingers to their ranks, with Jadon Sancho expected to leave Villa Park. Leon Bailey is also poised to follow him out the door.

The Birmingham-based club needs attacking reinforcements, and Rowe is one of the names on their shortlist of transfer targets, but he is not the only one.

Rowe has caught the eye this season, bagging eight goals and five assists in 43 appearances while garnering European experience.

The 23-year-old has been sensational for the Italian club, helping them to eighth on the league log.

Villa have reportedly been scouting him since his time with Norwich City.

Bologna will demand about £30m-£35 million to let him go, a figure Villa are willing to pay for new signings this summer.

Rowe is a direct and unpredictable winger who will bring a different type of threat out wide.

Where Rowe arguably edges Sancho is in pure end-product and decisiveness in the final third.

While Sancho often drifts between phases of play and looks to connect attacks, Rowe is far more aggressive in his intent.

He drives at full-backs, commits early, and looks to turn possession into chances quickly.

That directness has translated into tangible output in Italy, with goals and assists arriving from situations where he takes responsibility rather than recycling play.

For Emery, that profile is exactly what Villa have lacked when games become tight in Europe, and the Premier League’s mid-block battles slow their rhythm.

Rowe’s unpredictability, combined with his willingness to shoot, will give the Villains a different gear in attack.

If he arrives at Villa Park, pairing him with Emi Buendía on the left would offer serious variation.

Buendía’s creativity and manipulation of space complements Rowe’s penetration.

It’s a combination with genuine high upside and a clearer attacking edge than Villa currently get from Sancho’s more reserved style.