Why Aston Villa should take a gamble on Britt Assombalonga
According to TEAMtalk (h/t The Sun), Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has identified Middlesbrough forward Britt Assombalonga as a potential addition during the January transfer window.
Britt Assombalonga, 27, has been out of action for a number of weeks through injury and in his absence, Middlesbrough have edged away from the relegation zone and are now just seven points off the top-six.
He has scored 15 goals and 16 goals in his first two seasons at the Riverside Stadium and is already on 6 this campaign despite his injury troubles.
With the DR Congo international being a consistent goalscorer for Middlesbrough since arriving from Nottingham Forest a few years ago, should Aston Villa go for him?
Aston Villa suffered a double injury blow last week, with the devastating news that both first-choice stopper Tom Heaton and striker Wesley Moraes are ruled out for the season.
Wesley, signed from Club Brugge before the start of the season, has scored 5 goals in 21 games. Before his season-ending injury, the Brazilian often struggled for service from his fellow forwards and midfielders.
With Wesley now out, Smith has limited striker options in Jonathan Kodjia and the inexperienced Keinan Davis. Thus, it’s an absolute no-brainer for the Villans to sign a striker this month and Britt Assombalonga would be a good fit.
Assombalonga has been Boro’s top goalscorer for the last couple of seasons and certainly amongst the club’s standout performers. He may have struggled with an ankle injury this season but when fully fit, the 27-year-old has been a terror for Championship defenders.
The DR Congo international is an experienced Championship striker who knows how to consistently find the back of the net at the highest level. He is adept at playing as a second striker or on the left, while he is a bit underrated in terms of his creativity, as the former Nottingham Forest man has the vision to pick out a killer pass in the attacking third of the pitch.
In the video below, one could see how dangerous Assombalonga is in and around the box.
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Verdict
Assombalonga would be a little more of a gamble given his recent injuries, and he has scored just 6 times in 20 league games for Boro this season, having finished last term with 14.
At the age of 27, he is probably entering the prime stages of his career and the Villans, after losing Wesley for the rest of the season, must definitely take a punt on the Congolese.