Southampton’s Gallagher is everything McCormack isn’t at Aston Villa

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Steve Bruce admits interest in Sam Gallagher and the Southampton youngster could be the perfect antidote to Ross McCormack.

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has admitted the club has interest in signing Sam Gallagher from Southampton this summer.

Derby County are also believed to be in the race to secure the 21-year-old, who the Saints are willing to let leave St Mary’s on another loan spell.

Daniel Bentley of Brentford pushes the ball away from Sam Gallagher of Blackburn Rovers.

“Every club in the Championship has been linked with him,” Bruce was quoted by the Birmingham Mail.

“It’s something we’re looking at us. He interests us yes.”

Bruce is on the hunt for a new striker with Jonathan Kodjia currently sidelined with a broken ankle and Ross McCormack linked with a move to Leeds United or Sunderland by the Birmingham Mail after falling down the pecking order at Villa Park.

Scott Hogan has been leading the line for the Villans this season, but although he scored in the Carabao Cup triumph over Colchester United, has generally struggled in front of goal and has failed to find the net in three Championship matches.

During that time Bruce’s men have lost twice and drawn once, leaving them second from bottom in the table and leading the 56-year-old to describe them as “toothless” in attack.

Which is why Gallagher could be the perfect signing for them and would represent all the things that McCormack is not – young, hungry and eager to prove himself.

Ross McCormack of Aston Villa in action.

The Southampton youngster scored 11 league goals while on loan at Blackburn Rovers last season, despite their struggles and eventual relegation and impressed enough to earn himself a new four-year contract at the Hampshire club in July.

McCormack, meanwhile, may have starred with Cardiff City, Fulham and Leeds in the past, but has badly struggled for form over the past 12 months and had a falling out with Bruce in 2016/17 that eventually led to the forward being loaned out to Nottingham Forest.