Aston Villa made enquiries about Athletico Paranaense forward Kevin Viveros before the summer transfer window closed, according to Birmingham Live. The Colombian striker had attracted attention from several English clubs, but no deal materialised before the deadline passed on 1 September.
SportWitness states that Sunderland also asked about the 26-year-old during the same period. Neither Premier League side ultimately pursued a move, with Villa opting to bring in Nicolas Jackson instead.
ESPN Brazil now claims Athletico have secured a verbal agreement with Viveros over an improved contract. His existing deal runs until 2028, yet the Brazilian outfit reportedly turned down bids of £17.3m earlier this year and resisted approaches from both England and the Saudi Pro League.
Should the new terms be signed, the asking price is expected to rise sharply. Reports suggest Athletico would seek a fee somewhere between £26m and £34.7m for their leading attacker, who has found the net 17 times in 25 league appearances under manager Odair Hellmann.
Championship clubs Bristol City and Watford have also monitored the player throughout the first half of the Brazilian season, though any potential transfer would have to wait until the market reopens on 1 January 2027.
Whether Villa revisit their interest remains unclear given the significant outlay required for Jackson. The new signing has already opened his account in Europe, scoring during the Champions League victory against Club Brugge.
Speaking after that win, Unai Emery highlighted the importance of the goal for his striker. "Nicolas Jackson – very important [goal] for him," the head coach said. "We lacked runs in behind against Hull, but today we did it more."
Emery added that he had worked with Jackson in training to adjust his movement. "Jackson is a striker who likes to drop and he needs someone running. We were pushing in the last training session for him to be the last man running in behind."
