Four years after Stephen Ireland left Aston Villa for Stoke City, he has been linked with a shock return to the Championship side.
This is one of the most eye-catching transfer rumours of the summer so far.
The 31-year-old represented Villa between 2010 and 2018, signing eight years ago for a fee of £8 million as part of the deal that took James Milner to Manchester City. But the injury problems that would dog Ireland over the next few years limited the gifted midfielder to just 34 starts in three seasons at Villa Park before he departed for Stoke City.
And, even though fitness problems have continued to limit Ireland’s impact, with the play-maker starting just one Premier League fixture in the last two seasons, the Reading Chronicle report that he is not short of offers after becoming a free agent.
It is understood that Reading and Bolton Wanderers are keen to give Ireland the chance to kick-start his career, but reports of a potential return to Aston Villa are interesting indeed.
Not least because Villa are in a dire financial situation, with the Telegraph reporting that they will have to raise around £50 million in player sales over the next two transfer windows.
Ireland, then, could be seen as a cheap addition with the likes of Jack Grealish heavily tipped to bid farewell this summer. But any deal for the former City starlet will be a risk considering his body has let him down time and time again.
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