Callum Wilson has admitted that a move to Aston Villa was ’50-50′ as he opted to move to Newcastle instead despite their interest.
The 28-year-old told Sky Sports Transfer Talk (07/09/20 at 1:10 pm) that snubbing Villa ‘wasn’t easy’ because the Midlands is ‘home for me’.
Coventry-born Wilson was relegated with Bournemouth on the last day of the Premier League season, as Villa survived at their expense.
Dean Smith has been searching long and hard for a new hitman, as Wilson explained his decision to pick the North East over Villa Park, which will be heartbreaking news for the Claret & Blue faithful.
“It wasn’t an easy decision as Villa is back home for me,” Wilson told Sky Sports. “But this club is huge, at the end of the day.
“I want to get off to a flying start. The strikers here have been iconic over the years and I would like to sort of emulate half of what they have achieved.
On not moving to Villa despite being a local lad: “It’s a massive club, even from the film Goal my son watches, he wanted me to come here. It was one of those where it was a 50-50. Both great clubs and here it’s iconic. Number nine and I would like to emulate the strikers of the past.”
Wilson’s experience in the Premier League would have been very useful to Smith because his players proved last season that they lacked that know-how.
Plus, Wesley is still on the sidelines and both Ally Samatta and Keinan Davis didn’t score after the restart – it’s quite clear that firepower is needed, but it won’t come in the form of Wilson.
It will be interesting to see how he performs for Newcastle now because comparisons will me made between him and whoever Villa sign to be their striker.
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