The 20-year-old made 44 appearances for Leverkusen last season Christof Koepsel/Getty ImagesAug. 25, 2026 3:45 pm EDT Updated Aston Villa have made an approach to Bayer Leverkusen for striker Christian Kofane.Villa are long-standing admirers of the 20-year-old, with interest pre-dating his transfer to Leverkusen in 2025.Leverkusen do not wish to sell Kofane and do not intend to do so after club-to-club contact was made by Villa.The Premier League outfit’s interest in Kofane relates to the ongoing situation with Ollie Watkins, who has made clear he wishes to join Al Hilal.Last week, Villa rejected a fourth offer worth £45million for the 30-year-old and do not wish to sell him. However, Villa are stepping up contingency plans, with Kofane among the options to replace Watkins.The Athletic revealed earlier Tuesday that Villa had a bid rejected for Jean-Philippe Mateta by Crystal Palace. Other options include AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and Nicolas Jackson, who is a leading target of manager Unai Emery’s.Kofane made 44 appearances across all competitions for Leverkusen last season, scoring seven goals and registering nine assists.In December 2025, Kofane was called up to the Cameroon national team for the first time and featured in their Africa Cup of Nations campaign shortly afterwards.Aug 25, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms