Aston Villa have reportedly revived their interest in Cruzeiro striker Kaio Jorge ahead of the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old has developed into one of Brazilian football’s most productive forwards after rebuilding his career following an unsuccessful spell with Juventus.
Sport Witness reports that Villa are again monitoring Kaio Jorge after previously scouting the striker in person last year.
Villa representatives reportedly watched him during a trip to Brazil which also involved monitoring Alysson, who subsequently moved to Villa Park.
No formal negotiations or offer have been made for Kaio Jorge at this stage.
Kaio Jorge numbers explain Aston Villa interest
His recent goalscoring record makes the renewed interest easy to understand.
Kaio Jorge has scored 43 goals across his last 86 appearances for Cruzeiro, including 17 goals in 40 games during 2026 after producing 26 in 46 last season.
That form has attracted attention beyond Villa.
Milan and Benfica have reportedly made enquiries, while Fiorentina and Bayer Leverkusen are also monitoring his situation.
Cruzeiro are in a strong negotiating position after extending Kaio Jorge’s contract until 2030 earlier this year.
The striker’s progress has also been recognised internationally.
Kaio Jorge was included in Carlo Ancelotti’s preliminary Brazil squad for September’s fixtures, although he did not make the final selection.
For Villa, any January move would be particularly interesting given the summer overhaul of Unai Emery’s attack.
Nicolas Jackson and Tammy Abraham already provide established centre-forward options, meaning Kaio Jorge would not simply arrive to fill an obvious vacancy.
Instead, his prolific numbers suggest Villa are continuing to assess ways of increasing competition and long-term attacking depth.
With several European clubs also interested, any serious January pursuit is unlikely to come cheaply.Adheesh Vinod’s Aston Villa Chance Highlights Club’s Expanding Global PathwayPremier League Worst Starts: Why Aston Villa’s Slow 2026/27 Opening Mirrors Last
