One of the lowest scoring sides in the Sky Bet Championship last term Aston Villa are seeking to boost their chances upfront with the acquisition of Greece striker Stefanos Athanasiadis, according to reports. The player is a shock target for the English side but Steve Bruce wants a top striker on the continent to help with their goalscoring woes.

Villa finished in the 13th spot last term but they remain hopeful for a playoff spot this time. The target has been impressive in Greek football, netting game after game for PAOK. The player is expected to join big money signings Jonathan Kodija and Scott Hogan as the team try to overhaul their poor results of last season.

The 28-year old Athanasiadis has played all his pro football life in PAOK. He spent just one term on loan at Panserraikos. He has a decent goals-to-games ratio, netting 112 times after 319 matches. He has netted double figures for the club in the last five seasons from 2011 to 2016.

The player is somewhat relaxing on his figures, having peaked two to three years back. Last term, he failed to score in 22 games. This makes the interest from Villa funny for a side that is targeting more goals.

Could they be banking on a turnaround in the Championship? His record in the last few years has been impressive but he is on a curve now, yet Villa want to acquire him. There are options in Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ross McCormack but Bruce wants one more.

So far, just John Terry and Sam Johnstone have signed this summer amid interests in many others.