Incoming
Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a fee with Lorient for striker Jordan Ayew, thought to have been around the £9 million mark. He will join on a five-year deal, with some of the formalities like the medical already completed according to the French press. It’s hopefully just the first step in replenishing Villa’s striker options after Christian Benteke followed Andreas Weimann and Darren Bent out of the club.
Despite Ayew’s expected arrival, the Villa faithful won’t be too confident going into the season with just the Ghanaian, Gabby Agbonlahor, Libor Kozak and Calum Robinson as their main striker options. It would certainly make them weaker upfront than last season, as they currently also are in midfield.
Certainly pre season already has shown the toothlessness of Villa’s forward endeavour, although injuries to Carles Gil and Jack Grealish haven’t helped.
Latest Striker Links
In terms of the latest striker names to be attached to Villa, beyond the ones we’ve already mentioned, Liverpool’s Fabio Borini’s name has resurfaced again. The Liverpool flop faired a better at Sunderland in his loan spell last season, but he’s perhaps nobody to pin our hopes on for a consistent presence upfront.
Another French league target is rumoured to be on Sherwood’s list in the shape of Rennes’ Paul-Georges Ntep. Despite being born in Cameroon, Ntep is a French international, so he won’t go missing in the beginning of 2017 like Ayew, when the African Nations Cup begins.
Meanwhile rumours of Charlie Austin asking for £85,000-a-week, seem to be pure press invention, as one decent season in the Premier League doesn’t warrant such a wage. The player himself seems to acknowledge the fact, after some ironic Twitter foreplay, posting a picture of Mr Greedy of the Mr Men.
It’s been disappointing that Villa have left it so late to sort out their first team squad with only two weeks to go, especially their forward line. It makes the week ahead vitally important, with key players ideally signed up this week to at least give them a game in the friendly at Nottingham Forest next Saturday.
At the moment, confidence for the season ahead isn’t exactly booming.
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i still think goals from midfield will be few and far between,, so a goal scoring midfielder is needed in my eyes
plus another forward,,,,,
we cant rely on gabby and zoggy,,, or the returning kozac who may well do well
hopefully,, gil grealish bacuna will start finding the net
Ayew averages 6 goals a season less than gabby!!! 12 in 29 last season is a vast improvement on his previous 5 seasons so maybe he’s on way up. God knows how we will do. I like Gil he has quality. The rest seem also ran no better than other teams that will end up at the wrong end of the table. Hopefully our charismatic manager can inspire these average players to play above them selves. But I fear the uncertainty of our future owners will be a big barrier to motivation again.
defence;more confident than last year
midfield; more confident than last year
Attack; reserving judgement until the start of the season
Management; more confident than last year, couple of weeks to go and Timmy is doing his best to bring in what’s reasonably available.
“give Charlie Austin whatever he wants. Speculate to accumulate” in that case how about spend all our money on him, Duh!! speculate and stupid are spelt differently for a reason.
I can spell ambition too. I would rather spend on a proven goal scorer than gamble on unknowns from France and Spain. But that’s just my opinion which I am entitled to.
We should stop p****ng about and give Charlie Austin whatever he wants. Speculate to accumulate and all that otherwise the club will never progress.
I don’t think TS has left it too late – you can’t spend money until you have it… The bulk of AVs transfer kitty came from LFC who played cat and mouse re Benteke as they needed the cash from Serling’s sale… and so it goes on. As Son Lyme says, there is 6 weeks until the transfer window closes so stop being a profit of gloom and doom…. Or go and join the Birmingham Mail!!!
We will be fine. Of all the teams outside the top 8 we have the most creativity. Gil and Grealish behind the front man. Then Bacuna and Amavi providing width down flanks. We are going to cause a lot of teams trouble. I think signing a Balotelli on the cheap would be a excellent bit of business although my preference would be Breel Embolo, Obbi Oluari or Benik Afobe.
Confidence is booming round this way – six weeks till the window closes and three or four more quality players to come and five or six journeymen to go – best news in ages – and remember even with Benteke and Delph we were poo. Vive le Villa!