Aston Villa are expected to be extremely busy during this summer’s transfer window.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
Villa boss Steve Bruce has his work cut-out if he is to guide his side to promotion to the Premier League next season, with a badly balanced squad at his disposal.
He will have to be extremely smart in his summer recruitment, if he is to head into next season’s campaign with a squad capable of challenging for the top two spots in the Championship table.
One particular area of concern for Bruce will be the forward department, with Ross McCormack unlikely to have much of a future at Villa Park, and Jonathan Kodjia set to miss the start of next term after breaking his ankle.
Subsequently, the addition of an experienced striker, on a short-term basis will surely feature highly on his wish list.
With this in mind, an interesting option for Villa could be Stoke City’s Peter Crouch. At 36, he is obviously past his best, but he still has a lot to offer, and could flourish in England’s second tier.
The 6ft 7in marksman spent two years with the West Midlands outfit earlier on in his career, so he would be used to the surroundings at Villa Park.
Stoke City’s Peter Crouch celebrates
Crouch’s strengths are obvious, what with his unrivalled height, but he is so much more than just an aerial threat. He possesses superb technical ability, and his intelligent play in and around the box would offer Villa something that little bit extra, by helping them unlock stubborn defences.
Bruce’s men scored just 47 goals in the Championship this term – the lowest tally out of any club inside the top 18 teams in the division, so they will certainly need to improve upon that if they are to achieve promotion next season.
And Crouch could be just the man for the job. He still has one year remaining on his deal with the Potters, but Mark Hughes could be tempted into selling the 42-capped England international, should they receive a respectable offer from Villa.
Stoke City’s Peter Crouch in action
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