Jonathan Kodjia’s Aston Villa blow should encourage bid for Southampton’s Sam Gallagher

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An injury to Jonathan Kodjia may encourage Aston Villa to pull out all the stops to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers to Blackburn Rovers’ Sam Gallagher.

Any optimism Aston Villa supporters may have been feeling ahead of next season has certainly been dampened in recent weeks. A run of three defeats in four, punctuated only by an uninspiring Midlands derby win over Birmingham City, has once again raised doubts about Steve Bruce’s ability to instil a positive style of football and a winning mentality at Villa Park.

And, to make matters worse, The Express reports that a broken ankle suffered by top scorer Jonathan Kodjia will keep him out of pre-season and possibly the start of 2017/18.

The Ivorian, who signed last summer from Bristol City for a Championship record £15 million, has been nothing short of indispensable this season with 19 second tier strikes – 41 per cent of Villa’s total.

The silver lining, however, is that the injury may ensure Kodjia remains in the Midlands beyond the summer amid reports that he had piqued the interest of Premier League clubs in need of a goalscorer.

However, if Villa were already interested in Blackburn Rovers’ on-loan targetman, Sam Gallagher, Kodjia’s long-term absence should only ramp up their pursuit.

The Daily Mail reported recently that the 6ft 4ins 21-year-old, owned by Southampton, is on Villa’s radar after netting eleven goals for a struggling Rovers side.

The newspaper claims that Midlands rivals Wolves are also interested. And, with none of Paul Lambert’s orthodox strikers netting more than three goals all season, signing Gallagher appears essential.

The England Under-21 international, blessed with a formidable leap and impressive hold-up play, should also thrive under Lambert’s direct tactics. However, with Villa in need of reinforcements in attack, a situation exacerbated by Kodjia’s ankle blow, Wolves may face serious competition this summer.

Villa have demonstrated that they’re not afraid to pay over the odds for players so desperation could encourage them to spend big on yet another centre-forward.