Aston Villa are desperate to tie down talented young striker Keinan Davis – but West Brom are waiting in the wings and preparing to swoop.
Aston Villa handed Keinan Davis a route back into the professional game in December 2015 after his release by Stevenage left the striker playing non-league football for Biggleswade Town.
The teenager has also been given a chance to make his mark in the first-team this season, starting 11 Championship games under Steve Bruce, a manager who trusts in his potential despite a less than prolific goals tally of just two.
Imagine the frustration, then, if Davis fails to agree a new contract and joins local rivals West Brom. The Telegraph reported on Friday that West Brom were one of the clubs tracking the youngster, with Villa desperate for the striker to sign a new contract with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season – but the two parties have reached an impasse over the wages on offer.
The report adds that the representatives on behalf of the striker, who is thought to be receiving £2,000 a week, had already turned down a number of contract offers.
This, therefore, has left Midland rivals West Brom hopeful of snapping up arguably Villa’s most exciting young player just two months after Bruce described him as the best young debutant he’d ever seen, per the Birmingham Mail.
Davis has emerged as arguably Villa’s first-choice centre-forward this season, even keeping the £12 million Scott Hogan on the bench. An aggressive and mobile presence in attack, the 19-year-old offers far more than goals – though Bruce admits that his finishing needs a bit of work.
And you can see why West Brom boss Tony Pulis, a pragmatic manager who tends to get the best out of hard-working and belligerent centre-forwards, would be interested.
Losing Davis to West Brom, however, doesn’t bare thinking about for a Villa side who have loss countless star players in recent years – though none, yet, to a local rival.
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