Aston Villa are preparing for their return to the Premier League, and should consider the West Bromwich Albion star.
With Tammy Abraham’s loan spell coming to an end, Dean Smith will no doubt have his eye on strengthening Aston Villa’s striker options in the very near future, with only a handful of youngsters and Scott Hogan providing cover for Jonathan Kodjia as things stand.
If Abraham cannot return next season, Villa need to have a marquee signing on their radar. But they also need to keep their eye out for potential bargains in the market.
And that should tempt the Villans to have a serious look at triggering Jay Rodriguez’s release clause this summer, with The Telegraph recently reporting that the West Brom forward is available for an initial £5 million.
Rodriguez angered a lot of Villa fans this past season after replays showed that his equalising goal in stoppage-time in the 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns in December went in off his hand.
And at 29 years of age, it may not be a potential move that captures the imagination.
But Rodriguez scored 22 goals this past season, and found the back of the net seven times during the Baggies’ dreadful campaign which saw the club relegated from the Premier League.
For an initial £5 million, Villa could do a lot worse than sign Rodriguez to provide cover for whoever proves to be their marquee striker signing. He can also play out wide if needed.
Rodriguez has a very good record in both the Premier League and Championship. And he could definitely do a good job as Villa look to reestablish themselves back at the highest level.
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