Villa need a goalkeeper ahead of the January transfer window.
It has been a difficult start to life for Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. The Norway international has found the going tough in the Championship, making a whole list of mistakes between the sticks.
The 28-year-old joined the club from German side FC Ingolstadt in the summer, but has since conceded 30 goals in just 20 Championship outings – managing only five clean sheets.
Villa need to sort out that area of the pitch if they are to achieve promotion come May, and a new goalkeeper is likely to be high on Dean Smith’s January to-do list.
The former Brentford boss should look no further than Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, who has lost his place in the first team to Sergio Rico of late.
The Daily Mail claim there “is a realisation” that 26-year-old Bettinelli will have to leave Fulham, and Southampton are interested in bringing him to the south coast despite already boasting Fraser Forster, Alex McCarthy and Angus Gunn.
Forster has been ostracised, while McCarthy is attracting interest from other Premier League clubs. The Saints, then, have shortlisted Bettinelli, who was called up to the England squad by Gareth Southgate earlier in the window.
Villa have got to rival Southampton for Bettinelli, with the Englishman boasting promotion experience from the Championship – having helped Fulham beat Villa in the play-off final last season.
Adding that kind of know how, and goalkeeping quality to Villa’s side in January will give them an enormous boost in Smith’s aim of hunting down the top six and having a shot at promotion.
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