Aston Villa scouts travelled to Porto Alegre on Wednesday night to watch two rising Brazilian forwards: Kaio Jorge from Cruzeiro and Alysson Edward from Grêmio.

The visit came during Cruzeiro’s 1-0 win at the Arena do Grêmio and was part of the club’s ongoing monitoring process.

Globo Esporte report that Aston Villa have tracked both players for months and could soon prepare formal offers ahead of the January window.

The English side have been impressed by their form and potential resale value. The trip to Brazil gave Aston Villa’s scouting staff another direct look at both targets in a competitive setting.

Aston Villa plan to continue watching duo

Kaio Jorge, 22, has been one of the standout players in Brazil this season. The former Santos and Juventus striker leads the league with 15 goals.

Against Grêmio, he played 79 minutes, recorded three shots – two on target and one off the post. He didn’t score, but completed all seven passes, drew three fouls and kept a strong physical presence.

Cruzeiro value him at around £21m (€25m) and have no plans to sell below that figure.

Alysson, 19, is among the youngest regular starters...