Aston Villa have reportedly intensified their interest in Bologna forward Santiago Castro.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, cited by Sport Witness, Villa have been monitoring the Argentine striker for the past two years. However, they are not the only Premier League club keeping tabs on the 21-year-old, with Nottingham Forest and Chelsea also credited with interest, while Everton have been mentioned in recent reports. Previous claims suggest Castro’s price tag could fall between €40–50 million.

The Italian outlet reports that Forest recently dispatched a scout to watch Castro in action, while both Chelsea and Villa have also sent representatives to Italy for closer assessments.

Castro, who arrived at Bologna from Vélez Sarsfield in January 2024, has scored five goals in 21 appearances this season, though he has failed to find the net in his last five league outings. In total, he has registered 16 goals in 75 games for the Serie A side and still has two and a half years remaining on his current contract.

With Premier League interest increasing, Bologna are said to be eager to tie the striker down to a new deal. Talks reportedly took place with his representatives on Boxing Day, with the club prepared to raise his salary to €800,000 per year plus €400,000 in bonuses.

While Villa would be capable of matching those terms, a move of that magnitude during the January window would be unexpected. Unai Emery’s side currently have Ollie Watkins and Donyell Malen available to spearhead the attack.

Forest, meanwhile, boast even greater depth in forward areas, including Igor Jesus, Taiwo Awoniyi and Arnaud Kalimuendo, although Chris Wood has been sidelined through injury for several weeks.