Aston Villa could do with signing a striker when the winter transfer opens and have their sights set on a second go at someone who was on their radar over the summer.
Dean Smith has Ollie Watkins, Keinan Davis, Wesley Moraes and Bertrand Traore on the books at Villa Park. However, Davis only has 38 minutes of Premier League football this season, Wesley is slowly recovering from a long-term knee injury and Traore is more natural as a winger.
As a result, another centre-forward could come to Villa Park in January and Gregg Evans of The Athletic claimed that Bournemouth’s Josh King is still on their radar, having been ‘checked out’ by the Villans during the summer transfer window.
The 28-year-old, who ex-Cherries manager Eddie Howe once called “the complete package”, has been short of form, fitness and playing time this season and wants out of the Championship club.
Bournemouth are happy to sell him for the right price, but their failure to cash in over the summer means his value will significantly drop. King, who has 50 goals in 176 games for the Cherries, is out of contract in 2021, so suitors can agree a pre-contract deal in January.
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Given the renewed interest in him, Bournemouth will hope they can make back some money rather than lose King for nothing next summer, so Villa might have an opportunity to bring him in on the cheap.
The Norwegian has made only six appearances from a possible 20 in the Championship this season and has yet to score (Transfermarkt), so his stock isn’t too high right now. Villa aren’t put off by that, though, so time will tell whether they finally get their man.
In other news, Evans revealed why Villa failed to land a World Cup winner in the summer transfer window.
