Steve Bruce’s transfer targets have left a number of fans somewhat surprised.
When you are attempting to rejuvenate your squad in order to push for promotion, signing a goalkeeper who has never made an appearance for his parent club and a defender most recently jeered off the pitch by his own fans is hardly the conventional transfer strategy.
Yet, according to the Birmingham Mail, Steve Bruce is keen on adding Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson to his roster in January, despite the mostly solid displays of Alan Hutton this season.
The 24-year-old, who only returned to the Emirates Stadium this summer after two seasons on loan at West Ham, has looked a shadow of his former self in his brief appearances in the first team, with Arsene Wenger blaming a crisis of confidence for his below-par displays.
Getting booed by his own fans might have something to do with it.
And the same publication claims Villa are on the verge of adding 23-year-old shot-stopper and serial loanee Johnstone to their squad with youthful Italian Pierluigi Gollini yet to supplement his talent with consistency.
A temporary switch to Villa Park would be the former England under-20 international’s seventh different club in the last five years.
Intriguingly, Bruce claimed earlier in the week that he was only interested in adding players that would enhance the quality of the first-team, suggesting that the starting berths of both Hutton and Gollini will come under threat in the coming months.
Although many Villa supporters are yet to be convinced that Jenkinson and Johnstone represent anything resembling an upgrade.
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