Dean Smith’s claims explain why Aston Villa reportedly want Brentford’s Josh McEachran

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Premier League newcomers Aston Villa have been tipped to sign Dean Smith favourite Josh McEachran from Championship Brentford.

Josh McEachran is not the first and probably not the last Brentford player to be linked with a move to Aston Villa.

According to The Sun, Dean Smith wants to reunite with his former Griffin Park star after leading boyhood club Aston Villa to the Premier League via Monday’s play-off final victory against Derby County at Wembley.

McEachran might have never have blossomed into the top class central midfielder he was expected to become at Chelsea but, at the age of 26, the one-time Stamford Bridge starlet has rebuilt his reputation at Brentford – particularly since Smith took over in 2015.

Smith was a big fan of McEachran’s ability to carve apart opposition defences with a perfectly weighted through ball or an ingenious one-two.

So it is no real surprise that a reunion is on the cards with the former England U21 international set to become a free agent at the end of next month.

“(McEachran) can see openings on the pitch that people up in the TV gantry can’t see,” Smith told The Times back in September, raving about the playmakers ability to produce something out of nothing.

Just imagine how effective he could be in an Aston Villa midfield containing the skill of Jack Grealish and the all-action combativeness of John McGinn.