Aston Villa reportedly wanted to sign Sweden international centre-back Filip Helander from Serie A side Bologna last year.
John Terry to Aston Villa could be back on after all.
According to the Sun, Steve Bruce is desperate to bring the former Chelsea and England captain back for a second spell at Villa Park. And their hopes have been handed a major boost with Terry performing a dramatic U-turn on his anticipated move to Spartak Moscow, according to UA Tribuna.
Terry will turn 38 in December so he is hardly a long-term solution. Neither are James Collins or Robert Huth, two more 30-something free agents who have been linked with a move to Aston Villa.
So Bruce should already be planning ahead for the January transfer window, with a younger man needed to lead Villa’s defence over the next few seasons. Filip Helander certainly fits the bill.
Tuttomercatoweb reported in November last year that Villa had sent scouts to watch Helander in action for Serie A side Bologna. And it may not be a coincidence that representatives from the Midland giants were in the crowd as Sweden took on Austria over the international break (Laola1)
Helander started the game at centre-back for the Swedes.
And the 25-year-old, who has started three Serie A games this season, would now be a better addition than ever with James Chester standing alone as the only natural centre-back on Aston Villa’s books.
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