Why Aston Villa should soon make a move for Burnley forward Rodriguez
According to The Athletic (h/t Birmingham Live), Aston Villa are plotting a shock move for Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez.
Villa are on the hunt for a new striker after losing their club-record signing Wesley to an ACL injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Wesley’s injury means Villa are now short of options in the finishing department, with the only available ones being veteran Jonathan Kodjia and the young Keinan Davis.
However, Kodjia has failed to impress Villa boss Dean Smith so far, while Davis has struggled this entire season due to injury, which has left the Villans with no other option but to look for attacking reinforcements in January.
Given the current situation, it is no big surprise that Smith’s side are now on the lookout for a new finisher and the 30-year-old Rodriguez has emerged as their new target.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, joined Turf Moor last summer after spending 2 seasons with Championship side West Bromwich Albion. The floppy-haired centre-forward is not somebody new to Villa, having witnessed him score 2 goals against them in the Championship last season.
A Burnley local, Rodriguez joined the Clarets academy as a young kid, rising through its ranks, making his professional debut in 2007. His impressive displays of 15 goals and 6 assists in the 2011-12 Championship campaign for Burnley saw him earn a move to Southampton the following season.
He went on play 126 matches in total for the Saints, netting 35 goals and providing 14 assists, finally leaving them for West Brom in the summer of 2017.
Rodriguez had a pretty decent time at the Hawthorns too, establishing himself as a regular there and scoring 33 goals from a total of 90 matches across all competitions before reuniting with his hometown club back in the summer.
Meanwhile, Villa look set for a trip back to the Championship once again after a string of poor results.
Villa have had problems upfront, with summer signing Wesley failing to impress so far. Despite being picked regularly, he has managed just 5 league goals this season.
The side’s other two forwards – Kodjia and Davis, on the other hand, are yet to open their account, thus raising serious concerns regarding the side’s striking options.
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With the side looking set for a possible relegation, Smith would be aware that he needs to bring in an established finisher in order to keep his side’s hopes of survival alive.
That said, who better than Rodriguez to help them, who scored an impressive 22 goals for West Brom last season.
Blessed with excellent finishing skills and an ability to shoot long rangers, Rodriguez will be a good fit at Villa, who are in dire need of a clinical forward.
Verdict
With the injury crisis in the striking department hitting Villa hard, they are clearly in need of a proven customer. Hence, Villa should make a move for the Burnley man sooner than later, especially with the side reeling at the bottom of the league table.