Forget Michael Carrick, Derby County’s Joe Ledley should be Aston Villa’s priority

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Aston Villa are reportedly keen on a huge deal for Manchester United’s Michael Carrick but Joe Ledley can cope in the Championship.

Aston Villa have already added one five-time Premier League champion to their squad this season in the shape of former Chelsea skipper John Terry.

And The Mirror claims that Villa boss Steve Bruce is hoping to repeat the trick by reuniting his veteran centre-half with his former England international team-mate Michael Carrick.

The 36-year-old is in his final season at Manchester United but, with the curtain closing on an illustrious career, is understood to be frustrated at his lack of opportunities. Carrick has featured just once in 2017/18, the EFL Cup victory over Burton Albion.

And while the temptation for Villa to pull off another eye-catching coup for one of the most talented midfielders of the last decade is understandable, are the Championship club being blinded by Carrick’s reputation?

Though still a hugely effective central midfielder, a gruelling Championship campaign would be a real test of Carrick’s ageing limbs – particularly as he’s barely started a game in the last 12 months. Does he have the energy to perform at his very best in the second tier?

Perhaps another experienced midfielder should be Villa’s priority instead. You only need to flick through social media to realise just how much of a fans favourite Joe Ledley has become in a month at Derby County.

The 30-year-old Welsh international signed on a short-term deal in September following his release from Crystal Palace and has been hugely influential so far. Derby haven’t lost a game in which Ledley has featured.

The former Celtic star, however, will be a free agent once again in January. Though Ledley may not have a Champions League winners medal in his personal trophy cabinet, he is six years Carrick’s junior and proving on a weekly basis that he can thrive in a Championship environment.