Darren Bent has admitted to Sportology TV that he was shocked when Aston Villa signed Ross Barkley this summer.
Barkley has arrived at Villa on loan from Chelsea for the season and he looked razor sharp on his debut.
The England international helped the claret and blues to a 7-2 win over Liverpool in their last outing, with his partnership with Jack Grealish already looking very promising.
Barkley is just one of a number of players who Villa brought in over the past transfer window.
And Bent has been very impressed by Smith’s side’s recruitment drive.
“They went and got Ross Barkley. What a signing that is, I didn’t see that coming,” Bent said.
“They have John McGinn, he’s fit and he looks a completely different player.
“They’ve also added Matty Cash, which was a problem area, he’s come in and looked good on the right hand side.
“The goalkeeper could be the biggest. He was superb at Arsenal. They’ve addressed every single area where there were problems and put someone in that position.
“I honestly think Villa will comfortably finish in the top half of the table.”
Bent’s prediction looks to be a bold one, but Villa have actually been in excellent form ever since returning to action after lockdown.
Smith’s side seem to have ironed out the defensive issues in their game and are now proving to be a threat to even the most dangerous teams in the league.
Villa have made a 100% start to the campaign, and will just be hoping that the international break doesn’t stall their momentum.
Smith’s side are next in action when they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
