This time last year it was transfer deadline day, and Aston Villa were on the lookout for a new striker.
In the end, Villa didn’t end up signing anyone on deadline day, but that very nearly wasn’t the case.
Indeed, at one point it looked as though the Midlands club would be signing Josh King from Bournemouth for £10m, and in hindsight, it looks as though Villa have had a very lucky escape.
Now, we’re not saying that King is a bad player, but it’s fair to say that Villa are in a better place for not having signed the Norwegian last summer.
This time last year, King had just one year left on his contract, so spending £10m on him would have been a hefty fee.
To make matters even worse, King’s form has fallen off a cliff over the past 12 months.
King has played for Bournemouth, Everton and Watford during this time and he’s still not scored a single league goal since Villa’s failed pursuit last October.
Add into that the fact that King was reportedly chasing a £120,000-a-week pay packet from Villa, and it’s fair to say that the Midlands club have averted a bit of a crisis.
Last season, Villa looked like that they didn’t actually need another striker as Ollie Watkins started 37 league games, scoring 14 goals in the process, and this summer they managed to bolster their attack with the arrival of Danny Ings, who, with all due respect, looks like a much better option than King.
Villa saved a lot of money in not signing King and it looks as though they’ve had a very lucky escape in not signing the former Bournemouth man.
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