Aston Villa may offer Christopher Samba a deal – but Norwich City’s recently released Michael Turner is admired by Steve Bruce.
You might have forgotten that Christopher Samba was training with Aston Villa. The Championship club have been putting the grizzly centre-back through his paces since mid-February, while dangling the carrot of a professional contract.
An influential warrior at Blackburn Rovers, Samba’s best days are behind him at the age of 32, however. And he hasn’t played a single minute of senior football since being released by Panathinaikos earlier in the season.
Therefore, cynics will suggest Villa are signing the error-strewn QPR version of Samba rather than the commanding Blackburn vintage.
If Steve Bruce is intent on signing a veteran centre-back in need of a fresh start, however, perhaps he should turn to a man he knows well.
The genial Geordie described Michael Turner as ‘one of the country’s premier central defenders’ after splashing out £12 million to bring him to Sunderland from Hull City in the summer of 2009, as reported by Goal.
Turning over a new leaf
And though eight years have passed, a mutual respect and admiration will remain between player and manager. Now aged 33, the prospect of Turner reuniting with Bruce at Villa will hardly encourage a flurry of bets on the club storming to the Championship title next season.
Yet, he could offer a great deal of experience and leadership in a backline who have picked up an unfortunate habit of shooting themselves in the foot at the first available opportunity – epitomised by Saturday’s slapdash defeat at Blackburn Rovers, capped by Nathan Baker giving possession away en route to Danny Graham’s winner.
Therefore, news that Turner has been released by Norwich City may pique Bruce’s interest.
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