With little movement in terms of big deals in the transfer market, a host of clubs (including Villa) find their deals stalled or bogged down in negotiations.
New Sporting Director Johan Lange and club CEO Christian Purslow will be only too aware of the need to improve Villa’s playing squad. Indeed, only Villa’s defensive ineptitude pre-lockdown masked just how impotent we were in front of goal last season.
This has lead to a raft of transfer links to attacking options, with Divock Origi, Ollie Watkins, Kelechi Iheanacho, Odsonne Edouard, Callum Wilson and even Gonzalo HiguaÃn spoken of in terms of a switch to Villa Park.
There has also been suggestion of a possible return for promotion hero and former loanee Tammy Abraham, along with the annual rumour to Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos.
The latest transfer news underlines the challenges that Villa face in recruitment as well as the reality that in shoring up our options, we might need to take a gamble…
Rhian Brewster
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 20 year old Liverpool striker is an exciting attacking talent who fared well in The Championship whilst on loan last term. Brewster found the net 11 times in 22 games whilst at Welsh club Swansea City.
Brewster’s stock is high at a crucial time in his development. Favoured by Klopp, the England U-21 international probably has a final year to impress, with another spell away from Anfield likely to determine his next career pathway.
There are some similarities perhaps to the progression of the aforementioned Abraham, with the Chelsea striker also catching the eye and gaining important senior development time whilst out on loan at Swansea (plus Bristol City/Villa of course).
Villa, Newcastle, Leeds United, Burnley, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Fulham have made enquiries about Brewster’s availability.
Attention and interest has presumably turned back to consideration for loans with the new season now less than a fortnight away.
Smith must now be getting twitchy. The squad, fresh from a pre-season camp in South Wales, must surely have expected to have seen new faces ahead of friendlies against both Bristol City and Wycombe. The opportunity to bed new signings is quickly diminishing, whilst the clubs need to identify and acquire targets intensifies by the day.
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