Shock horror. Aston Villa want to bolster their forward line this summer.

Last season, they were one of the worst attacking sides in the Premier League, scoring just 41 goals in 38 outings.

It didn't matter how much they spent on Wesley or Mbwana Samatta, they were never going to be the answer to Dean Smith's problems.

It was a wretched season for the Villans. Jesus Garcia Pitarch and Christian Purslow helped the club on their way to spending a ludicrous sum of £140m on new recruits. 

This was madness, especially when you consider they stayed up by one position.

Villa were poor for most of the campaign and they can consider themselves fortunate that football was postponed for a few months.

It gave Smith added time to analyse the team's faults and address where things were going wrong. Of course, they bounced back brilliantly, going unbeaten in their final four outings. Before that, they hadn't won in 11 games. Shambolic stuff.

Dean Smith with his players

Aston Villa are yet to bring any fresh faces to the Midlands this summer but they've been linked with their fair share of strikers. Tammy Abraham and Odsonne Edouard to name a few.

However, there is a new name on the club's radar.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Villa are one of the sides interested in signing Bournemouth forward Callum Wilson.

The Cherries got relegated last season and are at the mercy of Premier League clubs taking their best players. 

Villa are now stepping up their pursuit of Wilson with Smith and co set to miss out on top target Ollie Watkins at Brentford. 

Newcastle and Crystal Palace are also interested in the 28-year-old who reportedly has a price tag of £30m. That would smash Villa's transfer-record out the window.

Callum Wilson

GIVEMESPORT'S Matt Dawson says...

All of this very much depends on the type of striker Villa want this summer.

Wilson has Premier League experience aplenty having appeared 126 times in the top-flight and for that reason alone, he betters both Wesley and Samatta.

They both arrived from Belgium last season and scored a combined six goals. That simply isn't good enough.

Wilson, on the other hand, scored eight in total. Now a full England international, he's enjoyed a productive two years.

In 2018/19, for instance, he racked up 15 goals in 33 appearances.

Callum Wilson celebrates

However, he is particularly clumsy when receiving the ball to feet. Last season, Wilson only achieved a pass success rate of 64.5%. On top of that, he registered a colossal 3.1 unsuccessful touches per match.

Compare that to someone like Edouard, and they are worlds apart. The Frenchman may lose the ball three times per game but he knows how to pick a pass. The Villa target's pass success is 77.3% this season and he racked up 19 assists last term. 

Therefore, Aston Villa must consider whether they want Premier League experience, or whether they want to gamble on someone who doesn't have any again. 

It's a tricky situation for Johan Lange.