Sheffield Wednesday have loaned Sam Winnall to Derby County, but where were Aston Villa?
Considering that Aston Villa spent over £40 million on new strikers last season, the fact that Steve Bruce’s side are enduring something of a crisis in the attacking third is either ludicrous or simply unfortunate.
Jonathan Kodjia’s £15 million move from Bristol City last summer reaped plenty of rewards, with the Ivory Coast international proving a talismanic figure up top with 19 Championship goals.
However, the broken ankle which has ruled him out of the start of the season has left Villa light in attack with Scott Hogan also suffering from niggling injuries and restricted to just one league goal in eight months.
And the less said about Ross McCormack, a £12 million signing from Fulham (BBC) who scored just four goals and fell out of favour with Bruce, the better.
Therefore, you wonder why Villa did not join the chase to sign Sheffield Wednesday’s Sam Winnall once it became apparent that the striker, who joined for big money from Barnsley in January, was to be loaned out. In the end, Winnall joined Derby County on a season-long loan with midfielder Jacob Butterfield going in the other direction.
Yet, although Winnall hardly set the world alight in terms of goals at Wednesday, following 11 goals in 22 games for Barnsley with three in 15 for the Owls, the 26-year-old could have been the hard-working, powerful centre-forward Bruce has been looking out for.
The failure to sign Sam Gallagher from Southampton, the Premier League club eventually loaning the talented 21-year-old to Birmingham City, should have convinced Villa to turn their attention towards other targets but they ended the transfer window without a single new striker.
If Winnall recaptures his form at Derby, Villa supporters would have a right to ask why their club did not at least enquire.
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