Udinese Star Keinan Davis Shortlisted By Aston Villa As Premier League Side Plot Summer Bid
The Stevenage-born star could be heading back to England.
Ben Horlock
Updated on 16 January 2026
Keinan Davis has emerged as a summer transfer target for Unai Emery’s Champions League-chasing Aston Villa side, FootItalia sources confirmed.
The Udinese forward has been in fine form this season after contributing six goals and three assists across 19 appearances in Serie A.
Davis has filled the void left by Lorenzo Lucca having initially struggled in Udine. Injuries have stumped the Englishman’s progress but his recent redemption has caught the eye of the Villa boss.
Emery is very much in the market for attacking reinforcements. Brian Madjo and Alysson moved to Villa Park this winter and a deal for Tammy Abraham is also close. However, the Roma forward may stay on loan at Besiktas until June.
Most goals scored by English strikers across Europe's top five leagues this season: 🏴
◉ 20 – Harry Kane
◉ 9 – Dominic Calvert-Lewin
◉ 8 – Danny Welbeck
◉ 7 – Ollie Watkins
◉ 6 – Keinan DavisWho should be England’s back-up to Kane at the 2026 World Cup? 👀⬇️… pic.twitter.com/eUabPsfagU
— WhoScored (@WhoScored) January 15, 2026
Keinan Davis Transfer News Reveals Aston Villa Interest
In October 2024, Udinese forward Keinan Davis confirmed he felt at home in the Friulian city. Whilst that may still be very much the case, the 27-year-old’s exploits have generated interest from Aston Villa.
Ironically, it was the English Premier League side who gave Davis his break in pro soccer. The Villans signed Davis off the back of a pre-season fixture when he represented Biggleswade Town in 2015.
Therefore, a potential move back to familiar surroundings could act as the motivator for Davis. Especially as he has a point to prove after struggling for goals during his spell in the Midlands.
However, that may not be the case this time around. Davis is the fifth highest-scoring English forward across Europe’s top leagues in 2025-26.
Only Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Welbeck and Ollie Watkins have more than the 27-year-old. With Villa looking for more firepower and competition up top, Davis is viewed as a fine addition who is in his prime.
How Much Would Udinese Sell Keinan Davis For?
According to TransferMarkt, Keinan Davis is currently valued at €4million. His current deal expires in 2027 but Udinese does have the option to extend for a further year.
FootItalia has been told that Aston Villa are likely to test the water with a bid in the region of €15-20m. That of course could increase if Davis carries on finding the back of the net in the second-half of the campaign.
After Donyell Malen’s Roma transfer was officially completed on January 16, Villa may also move on summer-signing Evann Guessand.
Although Brian Madjo has signed and Tammy Abraham’s return is nearing completion, there is still room for Davis with the Premier League side set to be fighting on four fronts in 2026-27.
Not only would Davis play a key role and earn a number of minutes domestically, European soccer next term looks a real possibility with Villa eyeing another top-four finish.
That would give the Stevenage-born star a chance to showcase his worth in the Champions League. If that is to come to fruition, the Bianconeri could demand north of €30m for Davis.
Ben Horlock
Ben has a long standing devotion to Italian soccer and in particular, Serie A. Ben grew up watching legendary presenter James Richardson deliver the latest news and views with the daily papers and breakfast in hand. Not only does Ben follow Italy's top soccer division, he is an avid follower of all the major European leagues. Ben is an expert on all things Serie A and has produced a number of features and news articles for FootItalia as well as UK-based outlets such as HITC, 90min, GiveMeSport and Betfair. In the US, Ben has been published on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
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