Aston Villa could face a much tougher battle to sign Kevin Viveros if Unai Emery’s side renew their interest in the Athletico Paranaense striker.
The Colombian forward has taken his reputation to another level in Brazil this season, scoring 17 league goals in just 25 appearances.
His remarkable form has already changed the conversation surrounding his future, with Athletico Paranaense now preparing for significantly greater interest when the transfer window reopens.
According to information cited by Sport Witness, Aston Villa and Sunderland were among the Premier League clubs to make enquiries about Kevin Viveros during the summer window.
Villa’s interest reportedly came before the club eventually opted to bring in Nicolas Jackson, while Sunderland viewed Viveros as a possible alternative to Brian Brobbey.
Watford and Bristol City had also monitored the striker earlier in the year, but his subsequent goalscoring run has dramatically strengthened his profile.
Aston Villa may now have to pay far more
The biggest problem for Villa could be the price.
Athletico Paranaense have already demonstrated that they are under no pressure to sell their leading scorer cheaply. The Brazilian club reportedly rejected interest during the latest transfer window, including proposals worth up to €20 million (£17.3m).
ESPN Brazil has also reported that Athletico have reached a verbal agreement with Kevin Viveros over a new contract.
His current deal runs until June 2028, but the club are looking to extend his stay while also increasing his salary.
That would give Athletico an even stronger negotiating position if European clubs return for the striker.
The Brazilian side are now reportedly anticipating a potential transfer fee in the region of €30m (£26m) to €40m (£34.7m).
For Villa, that could represent a substantial increase compared with the kind of valuation that existed before Viveros’ extraordinary run of goals.
Kevin Viveros has become one of Brazil’s leading strikers
The 26-year-old currently sits at the top of the Brazilian league scoring charts with 17 goals.
His performances have made him one of the most important attacking players in Odair Hellmann’s team and inevitably attracted greater attention from clubs outside Brazil.
Viveros’ biggest strengths are his power, acceleration and explosiveness.
Rather than functioning purely as a traditional target man, the Colombian appears at his most dangerous when he has space to attack. His pace allows him to get away from defenders and arrive in dangerous positions around the penalty area.
That style would explain why he attracted interest from clubs looking for a more dynamic attacking option.
There are still areas for Kevin Viveros to improve
Despite his impressive numbers, Viveros is not without weaknesses.
Hellmann has previously pointed towards aspects of the striker’s game that still require development, particularly his heading and decision-making.
The latter is especially important when Viveros reaches the final third, with the manager highlighting situations where the forward needs to recognise when a pass is the better option rather than attempting another shot.
His goal tally, however, demonstrates that those limitations have not prevented him from becoming an extremely productive attacker.
And that is precisely why Athletico’s position has become so strong.
Could Aston Villa return for Kevin Viveros?
Villa’s previous interest is particularly interesting because the club ultimately solved its striker problem by signing Nicolas Jackson.
That does not necessarily mean Viveros is off the radar permanently.
Transfer priorities can change quickly, particularly if Villa decide they need greater depth or another attacking profile in future windows.
However, any renewed approach would now have to take into account Athletico’s strengthened position, Viveros’ new contract situation and his extraordinary goalscoring numbers.
The €20m interest reportedly rejected by Athletico already provides an indication of how difficult negotiations could become.
If Viveros continues scoring at his current rate, Villa may find that the opportunity they explored during the summer becomes considerably more expensive when they return.
The Aston Villa News BR verdict
Kevin Viveros has done exactly what every striker wants to do when attracting interest from Europe: he has made himself impossible to ignore.
Seventeen league goals in 25 appearances have transformed his market situation, while Athletico Paranaense are now in a position to demand a much higher fee.
Villa may still have an interest, but the calculation has changed.
The club will have to decide whether Viveros’ goalscoring explosion is enough to justify potentially paying £26m-£35m for a striker who was available at a considerably different valuation before his breakthrough season.
If he keeps scoring, waiting could prove very expensive for Aston Villa.
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