Aston Villa supporters have spent recent weeks processing the record departure of attacking star Morgan Rogers, sold for a staggering £117m this summer.
The 23-year-old became the most expensive Englishman of all time, surpassing even the landmark deal that took Jack Grealish to Manchester City back in 2021.
Unai Emery’s side could not realistically turn down that level of money given the financial constraints surrounding Villa Park, but the loss is a significant one.
Rogers registered 16 combined goals and assists in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered at the club by Ollie Watkins during that campaign.
Villa moved quickly to address the void, securing Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho on a season-long loan from Chelsea, with a mandatory purchase option attached.
That option, dependent on the number of appearances Garnacho makes at Villa Park, could see the club commit up to £42m for the 22-year-old permanently.
Garnacho showed his quality at Manchester United during the 2024/25 season, contributing 11 goals and 10 assists across 58 appearances in all competitions.
However, his subsequent campaign at Chelsea was deeply inconsistent, with the winger scoring just once in the Premier League and completing only 34% of his attempted dribbles.
That dribble completion rate placed him in the bottom 25% of forwards in the division, while he also completed just 13% of his attempted crosses throughout 2025/26.
Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt was among those to publicly question his attitude, labelling him a “disgrace” and saying he “got above his station too quick.”
Emery personally pushed for the Garnacho deal this summer, but Villa’s hierarchy appears unconvinced that he alone can fill the Rogers-shaped hole in their attack.
Reports have emerged from ESPN that the club recently had an opening bid rejected for Palmeiras winger Allan, a 22-year-old Brazilian drawing significant attention in South America.
Palmeiras view Allan as a crucial asset but will reportedly consider selling him if Villa return with an offer in the region of €45m, equivalent to around £38m.
The Brazilian was credited with producing “one of the best Libertadores performances of all time” last season, even as Palmeiras ultimately fell to Flamengo in the final.
Allan has posted a remarkable 2.7 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in the current Brazilian top-flight campaign, ranking him in the top 8% of all forwards across South America.
That figure is two times higher than the equivalent number produced by Rogers, underlining Allan’s exceptional ability to drive past defenders at pace.
The Palmeiras winger has also been fouled 2.3 times per 90 this campaign, reflecting how frequently opposition defenders are forced to stop him illegally to prevent damage.
Allan has converted that directness into genuine output, creating 2.1 chances per 90 and registering six goal contributions across just 16 starts this season.
The step up from South American football to the Premier League is considerable, but many forwards have made that transition successfully in recent years.
If Villa can agree a deal before the window closes, Allan could emerge as the primary option on the left side of Emery’s attack, leaving Garnacho with a fight on his hands.