Aston Villa booked their place in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League as they beat French side Lille on penalties on Thursday night.

Emi Martinez was the hero of the night with his two crucial saves from the spot to provide his teammates with an opportunity to win the shootout by scoring theirs.

The Villans, who are also fourth in the Premier League and on course to secure qualification for the Champions League next season, are now in with a real shot at landing a European trophy as they advance to the last four of the competition.

Despite there being plenty to play for, domestically and in Europe, before the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Monchi and Unai Emery are reportedly already eyeing up targets to come and join the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Aston Villa's interest in Italian wing-back

A recent report from Torino Granata claimed that Aston Villa are interested in a swoop to sign Torino wing-back Raoul Bellanova to bolster their options at the back.

The outlet claimed that scouts from Villa and fellow Premier League side Manchester United have been to watch the defender in action this season.

However, it added that no negotiations have taken place between the clubs to discuss a potential deal for the impressive dynamo, as they are only monitoring his situation at this moment in time.

Torino Granata claimed that the 23-year-old star has a price tag of up to €25m (£21m) but added that the Italian club could look to resist offers for his services this summer, as his value could continue to soar over the coming seasons and they could rake in a higher fee further down the line.

It now remains to be seen, though, whether or not Monchi will decide to act upon his interest in the full-back by making a formal approach for his signature ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

If Villa qualify for the Champions League, and/or win the Europa Conference League, they could be a very attractive club to join, which could convince Bellanova, and other targets, to push for a move to join up with Emery's talented squad.

The Villans should look to make the most of their success on the pitch this season by being ambitious in the transfer market, and the signing of the Torino star could be a shrewd first move for £21m.

Monchi could land a dream upgrade on current right-back Matty Cash by landing a deal for the 23-year-old Italian, who has been in impressive form this term.

Matty Cash's Aston Villa season in numbers

The Poland international scored his fourth goal of the season in all competitions when his fierce effort was deflected into the top corner against Lille on Thursday night.

In the Premier League, the former Nottingham Forest dynamo has contributed with two goals and one assist in 26 appearances for the Villans.

His finishing, however, has left a lot to be desired as the right-back has only scored two goals from an xG (Expected Goals) of 4.23 in the division.

Cash ranks within the bottom 20% of full-backs across the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for assists (0.04) per 90, with two assists in 51 Premier League games since the start of last season.

He also ranks within the bottom 25% for shot-creating actions (1.68) per 90, and the bottom 12% for successful take-ons (0.31) per 90 during that period, which suggests that the right-footed ace does not provide a consistent attacking outlet down the flank.

Defensively, the 26-year-old defender has been average from a physical perspective, with a duel success rate of 49% in the league this term.

This shows that he has lost more duels than he has won throughout the Premier League season, which means that opposition players have found joy against him on the deck and in the air.

The Villa number two has found himself behind Ezri Konsa, a centre-back by trade, at right-back at times and Monchi could now land Emery a dream upgrade on the Polish whiz by swooping for Bellanova this summer.

Why Raoul Bellanova could be an upgrade on Matty Cash

The £21m-rated star could be a fantastic addition to the squad if he can translate his form for Torino over to the Premier League next season.

Over the last 365 days, Bellanova ranks within the top 14% of full-backs in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions for assists (0.19) per 90, which shows that he is among the best in his position at creating goals for his teammates – whilst Cash is at the other end of the spectrum.

The 23-year-old gem also ranks within the top 19% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.14) per 90, the top 23% for shot-creating actions (2.62) per 90, and the top 14% for successful take-ons (1.31) per 90.

These statistics suggest that the Torino talent has the quality to provide a fantastic attacking outlet down the right flank, as he can create shooting opportunities, take players on, and assist goals at an impressive rate in comparison to other full-backs in Europe.

Appearances

26

31

Sofascore rating

6.93

7.05

Assists

1

6

Key passes per game

0.4

1.4

Duel success rate

49%

60%

Dribbled past per game

1.0

0.2

Ball recoveries per game

3.8

3.6

As you can see in the table above, Bellanova has the edge on Cash when it comes to being a creator for his side as a right-back based on their respective league form this season.

The Italian whiz, who was hailed as a "wonderful" player by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has also won the majority of his duels and rarely been dribbled past by opposition players.

This suggests that the Villa target is far more solid defensively in comparison to the Poland international, who has let himself down at times in duels and been dribbled past 0.8 more times per match on average.

Therefore, Bellanova could come through the door as an upgrade on Cash, due to his potential to offer more physically, defensively, and offensively, which is why Monchi should push to get a deal over the line this summer.