Unai Emery handed huge Aston Villa boost as £51m target gives ‘green light’ amid Ollie Watkins update

Aston Villa have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Rafael Leao, with the AC Milan star reportedly preferring a move to England.

Unai Emery's side have made fresh contact with the Serie A outfit as they look to strengthen their attack before the transfer window closes.

Leao's preference could prove decisive after Aston Villa agreed a deal to sell Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal, with the England striker set to travel to Riyadh in the coming days.

Rafael Leao prefers move to Aston Villa over Galatasaray

Villa have stepped up their interest in Leao after making fresh contact with Milan over a potential move for the Portugal international.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio (via Sport Witness), negotiations between Villa and Milan are continuing, with Leao's future increasingly uncertain after he made clear his desire to leave the San Siro.

Galatasaray are also pushing to sign the 27-year-old and have already shown a willingness to offer around €40m, although Milan are holding out for closer to €60 million (£51 million), including at least €50 million (£42 million) in guaranteed payments.

The advantage for Villa is that Leao reportedly prefers a move to England, giving Emery's side an important edge over their Turkish rivals.

There is no indication yet that Villa have matched Milan's asking price, but their renewed contact shows they are serious about the move.

The need for a replacement is now even more pressing after Villa reached an agreement with Al-Hilal for Watkins. The England international is set to move to Saudi Arabia in the coming days and will reportedly earn £11 million per year.

Rafael Leao boost will be welcome news for Unai Emery

This would be hugely welcome news for Emery given the amount of upheaval at Villa Park this summer.

Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have all left, while Watkins is edging towards a move to Saudi Arabia - and losing their leading Premier League goalscorer would leave another major hole for the Spaniard to fill.

That makes Leao's preference for Villa particularly significant.

The Portugal international would bring pace, direct running and the individual quality to change games himself, while offering a considerable upgrade in attacking talent compared with some of the alternatives being considered.

Villa still need to agree a fee with Milan, and £51 million would represent a sizeable investment, but after so many major departures, convincing a player of Leao's calibre that Villa Park is where he wants to be would be an important first step.

For Emery, having Leao prefer Villa over Galatasaray gives the club something to work with as they attempt to replace the players they have lost without allowing the squad to weaken significantly.