Aston Villa have now made contact to sign a “wonderful” midfielder, who is set to leave his current club on a free transfer next summer.
Villa looking to strengthen options in midfield
Villa’s recent resurgence has seen them rise to fourth in the Premier League table, and they have their midfielders to thank for the 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, with both Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans impressing.
Tielemans received a SofaScore match rating of 8.4, the highest of any player, after winning seven duels and making four tackles, while Kamara scored what proved to be the match-winning goal, and received high praise for his display from Troy Deeney.
The former striker said: “If he can be fully fit and stay fit, Villa have a real chance of pushing for Europe again. I think he is that good. He broke up play really well, dominated in midfield and capped it off with a goal.”
Despite being well-stocked in the middle of the park, with Ross Barkley, Lamare Bogarde and Amadou Onana also at Unai Emery’s disposal, the Villans are now looking to make another addition in central midfield.
That is according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states Aston Villa have now made contact over the signing of Rangers midfielder Bailey Rice, who is set to leave the Scottish club upon the expiration of his contract next summer.
Rice has been unable to agree a new deal, which has opened the door for a departure, and Villa have now made checks, alongside Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City, with a free transfer on the cards.
In fact, the two Championship clubs are willing to make a pre-contract offer next month, such is their level of interest, but it is unclear whether the Villans will be prepared to do the same.
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The Villans are planning to hold talks over a deal for a midfielder, who has impressed scouts from across Europe.
“Wonderful” Rice shouldn’t be priority signing for Villa
At just 19-years-old, the teenager is yet to become one of Rangers’ star players, but he does have 16 first-team appearances to his name, and has caught the eye at times, being lauded as “wonderful” by Rio Ferdinand after impressing against Manchester United.
That said, given a lack of senior experience, the Scot may still be some way off being able to displace the likes of Tielemans and Kamara in the starting XI, however, and Aston Villa’s number one priority should be to bring in a new striker, amid Ollie Watkins’ poor form.
After failing to score against Wolves last time out, the England international’s record now stands at one goal in 19 matches in all competitions this season, which should be a major concern for Emery.
If there isn’t a major improvement in the next month, Villa should look to sign a new striker in January, and a Premier League star is now among the targets…
