Orjan Nyland has struggled in the Championship since joining Aston Villa so could he be replaced by Karl Darlow or Tom Heaton at Villa Park?
Aston Villa would have known at the time that they were taking a risk making Orjan Nyland their new number one goalkeeper in the summer.
The Norway international arrived at Villa Park from German second division outfit FC Ingolstadt as something of an unknown quantity, having never played in English football before.
And, despite some truly outstanding saves, it would be a stretch to say Nyland has been a success. The 27-year-old has struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Championship and made a couple of high-profile mistakes, particularly in the 5-5 November draw with Nottingham Forest.
As a result, it seems that Aston Villa are attempting to bring a new shot-stopper to the Midlands to boost their promotion push, with Tom Heaton and Karl Darlow (below) having been linked in recent times, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.
Tellingly, the Mail adds that Villa want to sign a goalkeeper who is proven in English football following Nyland’s difficulties at the start of this season. That hardly reflects well on the Scandinavian shot-stopper.
Heaton and Darlow are certainly more sensible and low-risk additions, given that they have both starred in the Championship and have won promotion with Burnley and Newcastle United respectively.
According to the Birmingham Mail, however, Villa may be restricted to loan deals with Financial Fair Play sanctions still a possibility
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