Aston Villa manager Dean Smith worked with Neal Maupay during their time at Brentford.
Aston Villa’s hopes of signing Brentford striker Neal Maupay this summer are fading, according to a report.
The Mirror have claimed that Dean Smith wants to sign another striker after they completed a deal for Club Brugge’s Wesley Moraes earlier this month.
It is said that Villa don’t want to pay big money for another forward, which means that their hopes of securing the signature of Maupay are now looking slim.
The attacking powerhouse worked under Smith during his time at Griffin Park, and following Villa’s promotion to the Premier League, it was inevitable that he was going to target some of his former players.
At this moment in time, new signing Wesley, Jonathan Kodjia and youngsters Keinan Davis and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy are Villa’s striking options.
Wesley is set to play a key role for Villa, but it remains to be seen what happens with Smith’s other attacking options this summer.
Kodjia is an out-and-out striker, but under Smith, he was deployed in a wide role last term, whilst injuries restricted Davis’ playing time.
As for Hepburn-Murphy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Villa decided to send him out on loan again after his temporary spell at Cambridge United towards the back end of the last campaign.
Either way, the Midlands outfit will need more depth and quality in the attacking third as they plan for life in England’s top-flight.
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