Dean Smith worked with left-back Rico Henry at Walsall and Brentford…and a reunion at Aston Villa could be on the cards.
The fact that Alan Hutton played much of last season out of position at left-back highlights a problem that Dean Smith will be keen to solve in the January transfer window.
As reported by the Express and Star, the Villa manager is indeed hoping to enhance his squad next month. And, alongside a goalkeeper and a centre-half, it is understood that Smith wants to bring a new left-back to the Midlands.
And the report suggests that the 47-year-old is lining up a move for a player he knows well – the highly-rated Brentford flyer Rico Henry.
Smith gave Henry his breakthrough in League One with Walsall and brought him to Brentford in 2016 for a fee of £1.5 million, as reported by the BBC.
And, while there is no doubting the potential of a player who has been linked by some to the legendary England left-back Ashley Cole, Henry has struggled to stay fit since moving to Griffin Park and has started just two Championship games this season.
But, after losing their manager to Aston Villa, would Brentford really be so willing to sell their left-back, too?
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