Southampton manager Mark Hughes announces plans for Aston Villa-linked Sam Gallagher

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Championship outfit Aston Villa reportedly want to sign striker Sam Gallagher on loan from Premier League side Southampton.

Aston Vila have another two weeks to make up for lost time.

Thanks to the financial crisis that hindered the club at the start of the summer transfer window, Villa only had time to bring in one new outfield player on a permanent deal, midfielder John McGinn, once Naseef Sawiris and Wes Edens completed their takeover.

And a new striker wouldn’t go amiss. The Birmingham Mail had reported that Aston Villa wanted to sign Southampton striker Sam Gallagher on loan with manager Steve Bruce a long-time admirer of the 22-year-old.

Gallagher struggled on loan at Villa’s local rivals Birmingham last season but has proven himself at Championship level before, scoring 11 times for Blackburn Rovers in 2016/17.

But, speaking to the Daily Echo, Saints manager Mark Hughes appears to have dashed Bruce’s hopes of finally working with Gallagher.

“Sam is very much in our 25. We get a lot of interest in Sam I have to say. It’s understandable if I’m honest having worked with him for the first time,” Hughes said.

“He has a lot of attributes. He is a strong young man, a lot of talent, a lot of pace and you can see why clubs would like to take him on board and work with him this season.

“He’s not one we are encouraging any clubs to come for.”

Southampton scored just 37 goals in 38 Premier League games last season so need all the help they can get. So expect the 6ft 4ins academy graduate to get a run in the first-team at long last in the months ahead.