Aston Villa have now offered the chance to sign the Champions League winner

Aston Villa have been offered the chance to bolster their ranks with a decorated free agent this summer, according to new reports.

Aston Villa lead the Premier League's transfer business

Unai Emery's side are in Europe's top club competition for the first time in more than 40 years and are overhauling their finances ahead of the new Premier League season in a bid to ensure they stay there for the long haul.

Much of their focus has been on adding depth to their ranks, as eight new players have been signed by the club. However, the team still lacks real Champions League experience, with Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne the only players in Emery's squad to have played more than 15 times in Europe's top competition.

While not a prerequisite for success in the competition, European experience is useful as Premier League rivals Arsenal have gained in recent seasons. Now, Villa have been given the chance to bring in a man with more.

Aston Villa have promised to sign a free agent

This comes as journalist Graeme Bailey claims Villa have been “given” the chance to sign veteran attacking midfielder James Rodriguez this summer.

The two-time Champions League winner is a free agent after leaving Sao Paulo a year ago and is reportedly “willing” to return to England, where he spent the season with Everton.

He managed to score 10 goals in the Toffees' first season, before moving to Qatar and then Brazil. The former Real Madrid man boasts 53 appearances in the Champions League, during which he has found the net five times and created another 11.

Villa are just one of the sides his representatives are thought to have made contact with, with the likes of Midlands rivals Wolves and Nottingham Forest among those informed of his availability.

Rodriguez could be Coutinho 2.0 for Aston Villa

Of course, Aston Villa have just released a 30-year-old attacking midfielder with a Champions League trophy in his cupboard, but Rodriguez's performance in the recent Copa America suggests his arrival would have played out differently had it been possible. .

Although he brings a wealth of Champions League experience, he still plays regularly, at least for his national side.

The Colombian forward helped his team reach the final of the tournament before being beaten by Argentina, scoring a goal and providing six assists along the way.

Those six assists were enough to set a new tournament record and earn him the man of the match award ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Emiliano Martinez.

There are question marks over whether that form can be sustained over the course of the rest of the season, but as he showed at the start of his season with Everton, he has the ability to tear Premier League teams apart when he wants to. He might be worth a risk as a free agent, making him one to watch.