Premier League newcomers Aston Villa have reportedly had an £8m bid for Cardiff City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
Aston Villa have not had much luck with goalkeepers in the last few years.
Since the Midland giants were relegated from the Premier League in 2016, only Sam Johnstone has looked anything like a reliable option between the sticks.
Mark Bunn was never going to be anything more than a veteran bench-warmer, left-field additions Orjan Nyland and Pierluigi Gollini saw their undoubted potential undermined by high-profile errors while the less said about £7 million January arrival Lovre Kalinic the better.
The Sun (2 June, page 59) claimed that Aston Villa could look to replace the Croatian number one after just six months and eight erratic appearances between the sticks.
In short, a reliable, consistent shot-stopper is a must for an Aston Villa side preparing for a return to the big time this summer. In fact, it is absolutely priceless.
So Dean Smith’s side should have absolutely no concerns about spending over £10 million on Neil Etheridge after seeing an £8 million bid rejected by Cardiff City (Wales Online).
A Filipino international with 62 caps to his name, Etheridge might have been relegated with Cardiff last season but The Bluebirds would have croaked a lot sooner if it wasn’t for the 29-year-old’s virtuoso performances.
Etheridge kept an impressive 10 clean sheets in 38 Premier League games and he saved Cardiff from defeat on countless occasions. Whisper it but he could be Villa’s best goalkeeper since the heady days of Brad Friedel.
£10 million? He would be worth every penny.
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