Steve Bruce attempted to bring Stewart Downing back to Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
According to a report on Sky Sports, new Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk has told Stewart Downing that he can leave the Riverside Stadium on a free transfer this summer.
Monk sees no future for Downing at Middlesbrough, and is keen to offload the former England international as quickly as possible.
And it could give Aston Villa the chance to complete a transfer, which they were very interested in during the January window.
Steve Bruce wanted to snap up the 32-year-old six months ago (Birmingham Mail), but his attempts were knocked back.
Boro considered allowing Downing to leave, but ended up keeping him around as they felt he could be useful in their battle for Premier League survival.
Monk’s arrival on Teeside appears to have ended Downing’s chance of making it back into Boro’s first-team plans though, and it means that now could be the perfect time for Villa to swoop.
Villa are known not to have a huge transfer budget this summer, but Bruce is still keen to add.
And, with Downing available on a free, he could now be a very appealing addition for the claret and blues.
During Downing’s first spell at Villa Park, which came between 2009 and 2011, he made 79 appearances and scored 11 goals.
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