2 Bargain Signings Aston Villa Should Complete Before Deadline Day
Much like Midlands rivals Derby County, the penny has dropped somewhat for Aston Villa in the Championship and they are now looking like the real deal in England’s second tier.
Promotion to the promised land that is the Premier League is looking like a real possibility now for Steve Bruce’s side, though like a lot of clubs at that level, he will feel he needs to delve into the transfer market to once again tweak his squad and is likely to be told to do it as frugally as possible.
Villa Park has already seen the arrivals of several loan players this season at a time when money is difficult to come, as they have been down at this level now for over a year. But, if any money at all is available to Steve Bruce, then he may consider the following pair to boost his promotion hopes:
Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough)
Tony Pulis wasted no time in pretty much declaring that former crack midfield partnership Adam Clayton and Adam Forshaw as surplus to requirements at the Riverside Stadium. With Forshaw now officially a Leeds United player, Clayton could be next out the door.
Forshaw brought in £4.5million but its thought that Clayton would cost lesser than that, making him quite a bargain, considering his passing ability.
Villa could do with a calming influence in their midfield to offset the exuberance of the likes of Hourihane and just ensure that they see games out after taking a lead, something which could yet get them over the line in terms of seeking automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
John McGinn (Hibernian)
The former St. Mirren man has had a very good season in the Scottish Premiership and, given the financial state of clubs north of the border, it’s thought that Villa could get their man for as little as £1.5million. McGinn has been on quite a journey since breaking into the St. Mirren side as recently as 2012, signing for the Hibs in 2015 for just £405,000.
His value has rocketed since then but in English Championship terms, he would still be a very cheap buy, looking even cheaper should they confirm promotion back to the Premier League by the time April comes. McGinn is now a regular member of Scotland’s full national side and if he is to improve his game any further, he needs to get out of Easter Road at this point in his career.