Premier League strugglers Aston Villa might have another talented goalkeeper on their hands in Finland stopper Viljami Sinisalo.
Aston Villa might have a star on their hands in the shape of Viljami Sinisalo with goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler believing the shot-stopper is one of the best of his age anywhere in Europe, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.
If there is one position where Villa can consider themselves to be fairly strong, it’s between the sticks.
Orjan Nyland and Pepe Reina are fighting for the number one shirt right now with Jed Steer and England international Tom Heaton stuck on the sidelines through injury.
And then there’s the Montenegro international Matija Sarkic, a youngster who shone on loan at Livingston in the first half of the 2019/20 campaign, keeping six clean sheets in 18 Scottish Premiership games.
Finland starlet Sinisalo will have to bide his time then but a place in the first-team picture might be heading his way sooner rather than later.
Cutler has been blown away by a teenager who moved to the Midlands from FC Espoo in 2018, believing he is one of the top 18-year-old’s on the continent.
“He’s very calm when he’s stepped in and doesn’t look out of place,” Cutler said recently when speaking to Villa TV.
“If you see a young goalkeeper like Viljami who’s got a really good chance to accelerate his learning, he needs to be training with the likes of Pepe Reina, Orjan, Tom and Jed. It will really help him in terms of what he needs to be doing, and to learn.”
With Reina expected to return to parent club AC Milan next summer while Nyland and Steer are also facing uncertain futures, there could be a chance for Simisalo to climb the ladder sooner rather than later.
Sarkic, too, is out of contract in just a few months’ time.
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