Aston Villa refused to stump up Middlesbrough’s asking price for Jordan Rhodes. But will they regret their decision?
Middlesbrough outcast Jordan Rhodes is still interested in a move to Aston Villa, the Birmingham Mail reports, but it looks increasingly unlikely that they will meet his asking price.
The Scotland striker was linked relentlessly with a move to Villa Park throughout the transfer window after struggling to make an impact during his ill-fated 12 months at the Riverside though, according to the Birmingham Mail, Villa have refused to increase their offer of £6 million while Boro want to at least recoup the £9 million they paid Blackburn the previous January.
As a result, any potential deal appears to be over despite Ross McCormack looking certain to depart and further reduce Steve Bruce’s forward options.
The Sun claim that Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday could be Rhodes’ most likely destination with an offer of £8 million on the table, meaning The Owls could significantly boost their promotion bid by signing one of the most prolific second tier goalscorers of recent seasons.
However, the Birmingham Mail add that Rhodes had told close friends that he would have preferred to move to Villa Park and link up with a manager who attempted to sign him on numerous occasions for Hull City.
On the upside, the Ivory Coast were knocked out of the African Cup of Nations on Wednesday, meaning top scorer Jonathan Kodjia will return to league action earlier than expected.
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