Aston Villa tried to sign Adam in 2011.
A goalscoring midfielder is sure to feature highly on Steve Bruce’s list of January targets, with no recognised Aston Villa midfielder managing more than two thus far, and there are perhaps few better qualified to fill that void than Stoke City’s Charlie Adam.
The 30-year-old has a record of nearly a goal every three Championship matches, even if it is six-and-a-half years since his last appearance at that level.
Since then, Adam has played for the once-mighty Liverpool and a Stoke side which has failed to finish inside the top half just once since his 2012 arrival.
Although his tally of appearances has steadily declined in that time, there is, however, little doubt that Adam would improve Villa’s side at present, and with his contract up at the end of this season, the Villans are perhaps in a stronger position than one might think to sign him.
It goes without saying that Villa are a bigger club than Stoke, the type of which Adam may never again get to play for otherwise, while they have also hit a run of form since Bruce’s arrival which suggests they will be there or thereabouts come next May – a prospect that seemed almost unimaginable six weeks ago.
Being a part of that would perhaps appeal more to Adam than a string of fleeting appearances for a steady top flight side. Although, that said, the former Scotland international has now played back-to-back 90 minutes for the first time since October 2015.
But with Glenn Whelan, Stephen Ireland and Ibrahim Afellay back, what then? Is Adam really in Stoke’s long-term plans? Taking a couple of million quid in January could be the best thing for all concerned.
Coming up six years since their first attempt, Aston Villa would finally have their man.
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