Aston Villa haven’t had the best start to their Premier League campaign and now with Diego Carlos picking up a serious injury, the club are on the search for a new defender in the remaining days of the transfer window, with a potential opportunity emerging.
Aston Villa haven’t had the best start to their Premier League campaign and now with Diego Carlos picking up a serious injury, the club are on the search for a new defender in the remaining days of the transfer window, with a potential opportunity emerging.
Aston Villa’s third round FA Cup meeting with Liverpool is a major doubt after the club reported a significant increase in the number of players who have tested positive for coronavirus. The training ground has witnessed this outbreak in the last few days.
Villa were meant to take on Liverpool at Villa Park this weekend. This ground was able to witness a historic 7-2 victory for Aston Villa earlier in the campaign. This was one of the biggest upsets of the campaign with Jack Grealish scoring a brace and Ollie Watkins coming up with a hat-trick to beat the defending champions by a significant score.
Aston Villa was able to end their long stream of defeats with the victory against Crystal Palace for 2–0 and the star of the match is Mahmoud Trezeguet who scored the two goals by ending the misery of Villa. He joined the club on 2019 for £8.5 million and has been doing great on the team. He has contributed well to the team during the crucial points in the season. The player will be receiving more attention from many clubs as the summer transfer window is approaching.
Championship side Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Lovre Kalinic from Gent on a four-and-a-half year deal.
The Croatian goalkeeper, who has been a long-term target for the Championship club, is scheduled to join them during the upcoming transfer window after the club agreed on a £14m package with their Belgian counterparts.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith claims that the team has to adapt to several challenges that may come their way. Just after the international break, Aston Villa head back into the domestic competitions to take on a local rival in the form of Birmingham City. It is a game of great magnitude for Smith, who has just replaced Steve Bruce as the new Villa boss. After having picked up a crucial 3-0 success over Derby County in one of the best performances of the season, Smith will have reasons to be confident that his team can do well in this first Midlands derby experience for him as a manager at Villa.
Smith does not expect the free-flowing football seen at Pride Park to be repeated in this game because local derbies are always extremely difficult. Furthermore, Birmingham have also been in a good frame of mind over the last few months and this has enabled them to make up several places in the league table. Aston Villa, though, last suffered a loss against Birmingham back in 2005 and they have since been unbeaten in 12 matches against their local rivals. The difference between the two clubs in the Championship this season’s only goal difference. Smith does not have a lot of injury problems but the club’s preparation has been affected by internationals.
Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia has said that he is finding joy of playing again after making a complete recovery from a serious ankle problem. The Ivory Coast international missed the vast part of the previous season with the injury and he ended the campaign with just nine league appearances, where he contributed a solitary goal.
However, he has made a fluent start for the new season with three goals already scored from just six matches and speaking to CAF’s official website, he revealed his pleasure of playing regularly once more, he said: “I gradually regained form after a very difficult period last season. A serious injury forced me to rest for several months. Today, I find the joy of playing again. As proof, I've scored three goals since the beginning of the Championship. In any case, I want to make up for lost time, both for my club and national team.”
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce says that the club may have to end up selling Jack Grealish before the end of the transfer window. The 22-year-old is one of the prized assets for Aston Villa and he will fetch the highest price among any of the current players. The midfielder has been able to get nine goals in his 92 games for Aston Villa. After losing in the play-off final against Fulham last season, Aston Villa need to make up a significant sum of money – around £ 40 million – in order to meet the Financial Fair Play regulations.
Bruce says thatGrealish is certainly a special talent who could improve Aston Villa leaps and bounds. However, the club are being left with little option but to sell him. Tottenham are being linked with a move for the midfielder, who could cost as much as £ 40 million. Aston Villa have gone through a horrendous time over the last few years. Apart from the relegation into the Championship, the club also failed to get back into the Premier League in the first time of asking. This is expected to cost the club around £ 160 million in potential revenue. In addition to this, Villa were unable to meet a £4 million payment for tax related purposes in June. All these have increased the financial pressure on Villa, while owner Tony Xia insisted that the club is not for sale.
Aston Villa assistant Colin Calderwood has said that the club are behind Steve Bruce as he returns from a difficult week in his personal life. The 57-year-old witnessed the death of his mother in the week just past and he has since got to know the news of his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who is under intensive care in the hospital.
Speaking in a press conference, Calderwood said: “He’s fine. I think he would rather I did these occasions but he will be under the spotlight next week.He has had a real tough time from January onwards. We have given him the help we can.Everyone knows he is the leader. We will get through these few days and help him as best we can. Sometimes, coming to work brings a moment of relief.”
Former Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker believes Jack Wilshere should turn his back on Arsenal and pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere during the summer. The England international has reached a contract impasse at the north London club, and there is a huge possibility that he could leave on a free transfer in the summer.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Reo-Coker feels the writing is on the wall for Wilshere, who should consider a new adventure away from the Gunners, he said: “I think it would be good for him to get a change of environment. It looks like it is time for him to try something new, a new chapter, move away from Arsenal. If I was Jack I would see that the writing is on the wall.”
