Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery had the first opportunity to stamp his own mark on the squad during the recent January transfer window and made minor adjustments to the side.
The Spanish boss, who arrived from Villarreal to replace Steven Gerrard earlier this season, brought in Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno from Chicago Fire and Real Betis respectively on permanent deals.
He also decided to part ways with experienced goalscorer Danny Ings by allowing the centre-forward to sign for Premier League rivals West Ham United.
The English striker has scored two goals in his last two games for the Hammers, after finding the back of the net six times for Villa during the first half of the campaign, and the club did little to replace his goalscoring prowess.
Duran, 19, came in during the January window and has failed to score or assist a goal in four top-flight appearances so far. The teenager, who scored eight times in 27 MLS appearances in 2022, is a young player who is still learning and developing at first-team level and may need time to establish himself as a frontline option for Emery.
Therefore, in order to bolster the side and afford Duran the time he needs to hit his stride in senior football, the Villa head coach must sign an experienced and proven goalscorer in the summer to compete with Ollie Watkins and replace Ings.
Could Pedro replace Danny Ings at Aston Villa?
The Villans have recently been linked with Flamengo forward Pedro and Emery must attempt to sign the Brazil international as he could be a terrific addition to the squad and a dream replacement for Ings.
South American expert Tim Vickery described the forward as a “local hero” in his home country and former Brazil head coach Tite dubbed him “special”.
The 25-year-old, who once played in Italy for Fiorentina, has plundered ten goals and two assists in ten appearances in all competitions this season.
This comes after the 6 foot 1 marksman managed an eye-catching 29 goals and ten assists in 59 outings in the 2021/22 campaign – including a stunning 12 goals in 13 Libertadores matches.
Pedro, who has scored once in four caps for Brazil, only started seven of those 13 Libertadores games and created an impressive six ‘big chances’ for his teammates to go along with his exceptional goal haul, which shows that the attacker is capable of creating opportunities for others whilst punishing teams with his own finishing.
The Brazilian goal machine has proven himself to be a reliable player at the top end of the pitch for Flamengo over the last 18 months, earning himself a call-up for his country, and his exceptional form since the start of last season is why he could be a dream replacement for Ings at Villa Park.