Championship duo Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa have both been linked with Australia’s World Cup defender Trent Sainsbury this summer.
This time last week, the Sun (20 July, page 60) reported that Queens Park Rangers were close to sealing the signing of Trent Sainsbury on a six-month loan from Chinese Super League outfit Jiangsu Suning.
So Aston Villa, who the Sun claimed had been looking at signing the 26-year-old, seemed set to be disappointed. But could things have changed round dramatically since that report last Friday?
Earlier this month, the Mirror reported that Villa boss Steve Bruce was told that the club could not afford to even bring in free transfers, such was the financial crisis engulfing the club following their defeat in the Championship play-off final.
But, in the last week, Villa’s dire financial situation has been made a little more manageable after a big-money takeover from the Middle East.
Although Villa are in no position to splash the cash, they are now much more capable of making an impact in the transfer window.
They have now told Stoke that James Chester will not be sold at any price after rejecting a £10 million bid, according to the Mail, and have brought in a new player themselves, landing 22-year-old goalkeeper Andre Morreira from Atletico Madrid.
So a deal for Sainsbury now looks more possible than ever.
The former Inter Milan loanee, who featured in all three games during Australia’s World Cup campaign, wants to return to Europe, according to Goal.
And he could be a regular starter in Steve Bruce’s Villa side, particularly after the departure of last season’s captain John Terry.
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