Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has struggled to find a consistent role for Gary Gardner in his team and Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan could force him out.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
With Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce making clear that he wants more quality and composure in possession from his charges, it makes perfect sense that the club would target a player who averaged an 84 per cent pass completion rate in 2016/17.
According to The Irish Sun, Villa are confident of sealing a deal for Stoke City’s veteran midfielder Glenn Whelan this summer.
Glenn Whelan has been a pillar of consistency in ten years at Stoke City
Following the arrival of West Brom skipper Darren Fletcher at the Bet 365 Stadium, it appears that Whelan’s ten year association with The Potters is coming to an end with Premier League rivals Burnley keen to take him off Stoke’s hands.
However, the 79-time Republic of Ireland international would add some much-needed experience to Bruce’s Villa team as they aim to build on last season’s 13th placed finish and push for promotion in 2017/18.
End of the road?
Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether Whelan would be a regular member of Bruce’s starting XI or merely a useful squad player. Either way, his arrival would surely push Gary Gardner further down the pecking order.
The locally-born midfielder may have come through the club’s youth academy but that has counted for little this season. Gardner started just 18 Championship games last season, completing 90 minutes on just three occasions after Conor Hourihane and Henri Lansbury were brought in to add extra quality to the midfield in the January transfer window.
Gary Gardner netted the equaliser against Midlands rivals Birmingham City in October
Despite only signing a new four-and-a-half year deal in October, Gardner’s importance has decreased throughout Bruce’s tenure and the addition of Whelan is likely to further damage his hopes of regular playing time.
Therefore, perhaps it’s time he brought an end to 12 years at Villa Park.
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