Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa and Huddersfield Town’s Nahki Wells are on Aston Villa’s radar ahead of the January transfer window.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce is in a very difficult position of wanting to sign a striker with proven Championship quality – while simultaneously being hindered by Financial Fair Play restrictions.
As owner Tony Xia admitted to the Birmingham Mail recently, Villa may only be able to compensate for the absence of injured Jonathan Kodjia by delving into the loan market. Bruce, then, will be keeping a keen eye on whoever becomes available.
And after links with Swansea City’s Under-23 hotshot Oli McBurnie and on loan Sunderland talisman Lewis Grabban, the Birmingham Mail names two more second-tier goal machines who have entered Bruce’s thoughts.
It is understood that Bruce is hoping to bring in Leonardo Ulloa from Leicester City. The Argentine targetman has hardly been seen for The Foxes since the start of the 2016/17 season and, after failing to engineer a move away in the last two transfer windows, is likely to be the subject of speculation again in January.
Ulloa has played just one minute of Premier League football this season.
And Burnley’s Nahki Wells has similarly struggled for game time. The Clarets paid Huddersfield Town £5 million to bring the Bermudan hitman to Turf Moor according to The Mail but, thanks largely to injury, Wells is yet to make his competitive debut for Burnley.
Yet, Wells has a good record at Championship level, scoring 45 times in 144 second tier games for Huddersfield. Ulloa, meanwhile, hit 23 in 50 across two seasons for Brighton before joining Leicester in 2014.
So both strikers certainly fit the bill for Villa. The question now is whether they will be allowed to leave on loan in January.
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