Aston Villa's 0-0 draw against Chelsea on Friday night was their second goalless scoreline in back-to-back games.
The Villans have tallied up 29 shots across the two games, but that clinical edge has clearly been lacking.
With that in mind, Unai Emery could well look to secure an exciting prospect to bolster his attack before the transfer window closes next Thursday.
Aston Villa's search for an attacker continues
According to reports from Turkey this week, Villa are believed to be closely watching Semih Kilicsoy.
The Besiktas prospect is a target for numerous other clubs, however, with Spurs being another Premier League side that is interested.
Villa do have funds available to spend, as shown by their interest in Morgan Rogers, so a move this month isn't impossible. It was reported last week that they were set to lodge a new bid for the Middlesbrough star although that deal is looking tougher to complete than first anticipated.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024 How Semih Kilicsoy would fit into the Villa team
Fans of Villa and the Premier League know just how dangerous Ollie Watkins has been this season, with it almost being inevitable that the forward will either score or provide a goal in every game.
The former Brentford ace has netted nine goals and registered eight assists so far in the league, making him the joint third-highest contributor in the competition.
However, the 28-year-old has now gone six matches without a goal, with his teammates struggling to get him into the game. Yet, the potential signing of Kilicsoy could create a deadly strike partnership that would get the best out of Watkins and make Villa much more dangerous.
Besiktas' 18-year-old has been described as a "hidden gem" by football writer Ben Mattinson, and he is experiencing his breakthrough campaign, impressing enough to be trusted with a spot in the starting XI as of late.
The Turkish star has started the last seven Super Lig matches as a left winger, and the table below shows a handful of statistics that prove he would work extremely well alongside Watkins.
Goals
0.80
xG
0.46
Assists
0.32
Shots
4.01
Successful dribbles
2.57
Touches (Att pen)
6.26
The first attribute that stands out about Kilicsoy is his ability to score goals. Based on his xG to goals ratio, it is clear that he is an extremely clinical forward who has composure way beyond his years.
Despite only playing ten matches with an average of 57 minutes per game, the 5 foot 10 attacker is already Besiktas' top scorer in the league with five, which would also make him Villa's joint-fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League for this season.
Therefore, having another goal-scoring outlet other than Watkins would make Emery's side far less predictable while also boosting their output.
Furthermore, an assist rate per 90 minutes of 0.32 shows that he could be an added source of creativity for Watkins, and the fact that he has a high number of touches in the opposition box means that the duo would be able to combine and interchange roles.
Kilicsoy is also extremely confident in his own abilities, as highlighted by his high shot and successful dribble statistic, he's simply a player that makes things happen. Mattinson has also labelled him as "powerful," and that is apparent while he's on the ball, as he rarely gets bullied, unlike other young players who are yet to develop physically.
Having him operate in the second striker position where he can drift out wide into the channels would get the best out of him, Watkins, and make Villa a much more frightening side.