Mehdi Taremi transfer interest confirmed as Aston Villa eye another January deal

Daily Star – BIRMINGHAM, Rio Ave boss Carlos Carvalhal has confirmed striker Mehdi Taremi is being looked at by English clubs, with Aston Villa linked.

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Rio Ave forward Mehdi Taremi and the club’s manager Carlos Carvalhal has confirmed that ‘English teams are looking at him’.

Villa are keen on bolstering their attacking options after losing Wesley to a cruciate knee ligament injury and selling Jonathan Kodjia to Al Gharafa.

They have signed one striker already, with Mbwana Samatta joining earlier this week, but Dean Smith wants at least one other forward before the window closes at the end of the month.

Talk of a move for Taremi also surfaced this week and Carvalhal has opened up on a potential move to the Premier League in an interview on Sky Sports News.

“Taremi is a striker from the national team of Iran,” Carvalhal said. “I know him very well because the national team coach was Portuguese, Carlos Queiroz, so I followed Iran often.

“I liked the player and I think he’s an extra player. He played a long time in Iran and last season he moved to Qatar.

“I was in Qatar last year for one week and I saw the player again and I remained excited about him.

“But I never expected to bring him to Rio Ave’s because of the difference between the money Rio Ave can pay to the money he can receive in Qatar was big.

“But I convinced him. He’s all about the personality. He doesn’t care about money. He wants to show his abilities in Europe. It’s a challenge to him.

“Never a player like that would be in Rio Ave [for long], so it’s normal now I believe Sporting, Benfica and Porto are looking at him.

“I don’t believe. I am sure because they are asking for information about him. And I also believe that English teams are looking at him.

“He’s a good striker. He’s a fast player. Good header. He plays very well to connect the game.

“He’s a player that receives very well the ball behind the defences because he has good timing to receive the ball. And he scores a lot of goals. He’s a quality player.”