Aston Villa have been linked with a move to sign Ezequiel Schelotto from Brighton and Hove Albion this month.
The 30-year-old has made only four appearances in the Premier League this season, and The Daily Star reports that Dean Smith could bring him in to strengthen his side’s options on the right.
Schelotto’s solitary start of the top-flight campaign so far came in a 2-1 defeat for Brighton away at Tottenham Hotspur.
Read Aston Villa’s verdict
We can understand the logic behind a possible move for Schelotto. Recruiting experienced players who have a knowledge of the Premier League may be wise, with Villa in a precarious position at the foot-end of the table.
However, aiming higher than the one-time Italy international should surely be the preferred approach for Smith and the men behind the scenes.
Frederic Guilbert has largely failed to build on what we deemed a positive pre-season, and landing a new full-back could be crucial to Villa’s chances of survival.
Schelotto was loaned out to Chievo in his homeland of Italy for the second half of last season after he failed to break into Chris Hughton’s plans.
Similarly, he has not been a preferred option under Graham Potter, evidenced by his shortage of minutes this term.
Recruiting players who are not deemed to be of the required standard from teams surrounding Villa at the bottom of the league, in our opinion, would prove to be a counter-productive method.
