Barnsley winger Marley Watkins and Huddersfield Town loanee Aaron Mooy are both on Aston Villa’s summer wishlist.
Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish
You don’t even need a three-digit IQ to know exactly where Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce is aiming to strengthen this season.
With Villa managing just 47 goals in 46 Championship games in the season just gone, it’s no surprise they are at the front of the queue for Barnsley’s Marley Watkins and Huddersfield Town’s inspired loanee Aaron Mooy.
According to the Eastern Daily Press, the Midlands club are desperate to sign Watkins this summer with his contract at Oakwell expiring. With ten goals and seven assists in 2016/17, he is hot property though it appears that Norwich City are in the driving seat.
And they face a similarly tough task luring Mooy to Villa Park. The World Game reports that they are tracking midfield maestro Mooy after a superb season on loan at Huddersfield from Manchester City. Included in the Championship team of the season after producing seven assists from deep midfield, the diminutive playmaker offers the cutting edge and control lacking at Villa all season.
What next?
Though you can’t help wondering what this means for young Jack Grealish. A player with all the potential in the world though perhaps without the matching mentality, the 21-year-old was only trusted with 20 Championship starts all season.
And while he finished the season with a flourish, scoring a late equaliser against Brighton on the final day to send the title north to Newcastle, Grealish has been far from consistent under Bruce’s reign.
“He’s got to be a better professional and stop hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons,” Bruce told the Birmingham Mail after the local lad smashed home a stunner against Fulham last month.
“There’s never any doubt about Jack Grealish’s ability.”
However, Villa’s apparent determination to sign another midfield creator this summer should act as a wakeup call.
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