Aston Villa are actively pursuing Southampton winger Leo Scienza as part of their summer attacking rebuild.
- The 27-year-old has scored seven goals and provided ten assists in 34 Championship games
- Villa have already sent scouts to watch the Brazilian at St Mary’s
- Scienza is open to a Premier League move should Southampton fail to win promotion
- Leeds, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham are also tracking the winger
Leo Scienza is the Championship star Villa want
Leo Scienza has been one of the Championship’s most compelling performers this season.
The 27-year-old Brazilian arrived at Southampton last summer in a £7.8m deal from German side Heidenheim and has repaid every penny of that investment, delivering seven goals, ten assists, and 18 goal involvements across all competitions at St Mary’s.
His MOTM performance in Southampton’s FA Cup victory over Arsenal represented his finest moment to date, demonstrating conclusively that the winger is more than capable of performing against Premier League opposition of the highest calibre.
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard put it perfectly: “He can slip out of the way, he can come inside and shoot. He’s an outstanding player in his league.”
Villa move beyond scouting to active discussions
According to reports in Brazil, Villa have already moved beyond simple monitoring.
The Midlands club are now actively discussing a summer move for Scienza behind the scenes, having previously sent scouts to St Mary’s specifically to assess the Brazilian in action.
That escalation reflects the club’s genuine and specific need for new wide attacking options.
Emery is understood to be keen on reinforcing Villa’s wide areas, which have been identified internally as a weakness in the current squad.
Furthermore, with Morgan Rogers continuing to attract serious interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, the potential need for a new attacking talisman becomes increasingly urgent.
The Rogers parallel: history repeating itself?
There is a certain symmetry to Villa’s interest in Scienza.
Rogers himself arrived from the Championship in 2024: a modest £8m signing from Middlesbrough who has since developed into one of the Premier League’s most exciting attackers.
The 27-year-old Brazilian arrives with a similarly compelling profile: Championship-proven, technically refined, and operating at the peak of his developmental curve.
No player in England’s second tier has created more big chances this season than Scienza. Furthermore, the winger sits level with Gustavo Hamer and Mikey Johnston at the top of expected assists per game, underlining a chance-creation ability that would translate directly to Villa’s system.
Promotion decides everything for Saints and Scienza
The final dimension is Southampton’s own Premier League bid.
The Saints are currently chasing Coventry City for the second automatic promotion spot, with a play-off berth more realistic at this stage.
Should they secure top-flight football, retaining Scienza becomes considerably more feasible. Should they fail, the Brazilian is expected to reassess his options.
Villa must act before the competition intensifies
Leeds, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham are all watching. Villa are actively discussing. Scienza is ready to step up.
Given Emery’s specific need for wide reinforcement and the proven Championship pipeline, this is exactly the kind of deal the Midlands club must deliver this summer
