USA legend Alexi Lalas ‘would love to see’ Tyler Adams leave Leeds United and return to the Premier League with Aston Villa this summer.
Alongside Wilfried Gnonto, the twinkle-toed teenager who even put a smile on Gary Neville’s face, Tyler Adams was something of a ray of light piercing through the dark clouds at Elland Road during an otherwise disastrous 2022/23 campaign.
The £20 million signing from RB Leipzig was arguably Leeds United’s star performer throughout much of the campaign. And it is no coincidence that the Yorkshire giants plummeted into the Championship after the American’s season was brought to a premature conclusion by a serious knee injury.
Leeds won just 10 of their final 12 games without the industrious, tough-tackling Adams. They conceded a staggering 38 goals during that run.
Aston Villa hope to sign Leeds’ Tyler Adams
According to The Athletic, Aston Villa could offer the New York-born battleaxe the chance to maintain his progress in England’s top flight; Adams well-suited to Unai Emery’s hard-pressing game-plan.
“I don’t want to see Tyler Adams play in the Championship,” Lalas tells the State of the Union podcast; endorsing his compatriot’s potential switch to the Midlands.
“And I think of the (American) trio of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams is I think the most valuable. (He) did himself the best in terms of the way he is viewed.
“So, I would love to see (him join Aston Villa). I’ll put Tyler Adams up against anybody.”
Regular first-team football may be hard to come by at Villa Park.
Emery already has Boubacar Kamara and Player of the Year Douglas Luiz competing for the deep-lying role at the heart of his midfield. Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey are also at his disposal.
The Birmingham Mail, meanwhile, believes Adams’ arrival could bring an end to Leander Dendoncker’s Aston Villa career.
Villa paid £13 million to sign Dendoncker from neighbours Wolves a year ago.
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