Aston Villa are being linked with a move for Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
On Sunday, The Sun reported that Aston Villa are keen on Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood – and he has quite the history with Villa boss Steve Bruce.
Villa did sign a goalkeeper over the summer as Pierluigi Gollini – a former Manchester United youngster – arrived from Hellas Verona, but he’s had his ups and downs this season, whilst Mark Bunn failed to impress in his only Championship start of the season against Preston in October.
It’s claimed that Bruce now sees adding a new goalkeeper as a priority in January, and he wants Wednesday star Westwood despite allegedly being valued at around £6m by Villa’s Championship rivals.
Westwood, 32, has been one of the Championship’s star goalkeepers since signing for Wednesday from Sunderland in 2014, and it’s no surprise that Bruce would want to land him again having previously worked with him.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood
It was Bruce who signed Westwood in 2011, as he swooped to land the Republic of Ireland international on a free transfer from Coventry City, and the player himself revealed just how long Bruce had been pursuing him.
Speaking to The Telegraph shortly after signing for Sunderland, Westwood admitted that Bruce had tried to sign him ‘a few times beforehand’, and felt wanted when he met Bruce at the Stadium of Light.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood
“I met the manager and got a great feel for the place when I came up and I felt wanted,” said Westwood. “He said he had tried to sign me a few times beforehand and the general feel for the place was brilliant so this was the next step for me,” he added.
Westwood’s comments at the time show just how highly Bruce has rated Westwood for many years, meaning Villa’s alleged interest in the player makes sense ahead of the January transfer window.
Add in that the Hull Daily Mail reported over the summer that Bruce was interested in taking Westwood to Hull City before leaving the club, and it’s clear that Bruce has held a long-standing interest in the goalkeeper – and Wednesday may have to fight off the Villa boss in January.
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