ROSS MCCORMACK
Following his recent frozen gate farce, Ross McCormack is appearing “certain” to leave before the close of the January transfer window.
Likely destinations include Norwich, QPR & former club Fulham.
A huge stumbling block to any deal will be the mammoth fee (circa £12 million) which Villa are looking to recoup.
The other and more probable outcome is that the Scot will go out on loan, but Villa will need to compromise on his staggering £45,000 a week wages.
AARON TSHIBOLA
Following the arrival of Bjarnason, Hourihane and Lansbury already this window, casualties are expected from the existing squad.
Indifferent form and injury have hampered Tshibola’s early career & have also featured a nondescript period in the Under-23’s.
Reports from the local press in Nottingham suggest that Forest have identified Tshibola in a cut price deal, with Villa open to offers.
At just 22, and having arrived with high hopes, it would seem a sudden end for a player who has featured just 11 times this term.
Equally, with Villa’s objective clear for the next 18 months, there will likely be consideration as to whether resting hopes on Tshibola developing can be risked.
AYEW: BARROW/TAYLOR
Jordan Ayew has been the subject of repeated interest domestically and from China already in January.
Last week there were strong links to Swansea’s Mo Barrow. This appeared to have some legs as Villa looked to mix things up in the final third of the pitch.
However, whilst that swap deal remains very much a possibility, Neil Taylor is now thought to to be the player in mind.
This has been met positively in Wales, with the view that the Swans would be getting the best end of any swap deal:
Either way a deal that would see either Barrow or Taylor move there and Ayew coming in the opposite direction would probably see the Swans getting the best of the deal and I can certainly see something coming off before the window closes.
Ayew currently remains at the African Cup of Nations, where he is part of the Ghanaian international side competing.