Jake Livermore has been heavily linked with his former boss’s new club in recent days.
Steve Bruce’s poor relations with former club Hull City are likely to scupper Aston Villa’s reported interest in Jake Livermore, the Birmingham Mail claims.
The once-capped England international was one of the first names on the team sheet during Bruce’s spell at the KCom Stadium, and the manager’s current club are badly in need of a midfielder with Livermore’s energy and determination in the centre of the park.
Consequently, the Daily Mail claimed that Villa were ready to challenge Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion for his £15 million-rated signature in January, although circumstance have poured cold water on the chances of Livermore reuniting with his former gaffer in the final few weeks of the winter window.
After all, it is only six months since Bruce walked away from Hull after falling out with the club’s owners, the Allam family, due to a lack of investment in the playing staff which left the Tigers completely unprepared for a return to the top flight.
As it stands, Hull are still mired in the relegation zone after replacing Mike Phelan with Marco Silva and Bruce’s decision to wave farewell on the eve of the campaign appears justified.
Nonetheless, the Villa coach’s difficult relationship with the Tigers’ chiefs, particularly the owners son Ehab Allam, means Hull are very unlikely to let one of their key players move to the Midlands, the Birmingham Mail reports.
As a result, the mid-table Championship club are facing up to the prospect of yet more frustration in the market as their hopes of improving their squad continue to slip away.
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