Aston Villa fans have been distinctly underwhelmed by Glenn Whelan since he moved from Stoke City in the summer.
Aston Villa were forced to work hard to make Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan their most expensive signing in the summer transfer window.
Restricted by Financial Fair Play restrictions, a Villa side which spent £70 million in preparation for the 2016/17 season struggled initially to find the £1.5 million to convince Stoke to sell the veteran Republic of Ireland international, as reported by The Mail.
Though many fans have been a little vocal in wondering why the club even bothered. The 33-year-old has been the subject of intense scrutiny during his short-lived Villa career so far.
Whelan has started 13 of Villa’s 15 Championship games but his performances in almost every one of those outings has had a number of supporters demanding his removal from the starting XI. And while the criticism has been a little over-the-top, it is no exaggeration to suggest Whelan has rather underwhelmed.
And though ESPN claims that Michael Carrick has no interest in swapping Manchester United for Villa Park in January, the fact that the Midland giants made enquiries about the 36-year-old’s availability is perhaps a sign that Whelan hasn’t lived up to expectations.
After all, Carrick would likely play in exactly the same position, in front of the defence, and would almost certainly relegate the former Potters favourite to the bench.
The report, however, states that five-time Premier League champion Carrick wants to stay at Old Trafford beyond the expiry of his contract in 2018 as he is currently coaching the club’s under-14 side.
Nonetheless, the fact that Villa attempted an ambitious coup to reunite Carrick with his former England team-mate John Terry suggests that they may not be altogether convinced by Whelan.
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