The Daily Mirror has reported that Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is considering a move for David Brooks to bolster his wide options.
Villa are expected to offload Henri Lansbury if interest arises, could benefit from upgrading on Conor Hourihane (one goal since December 2019) and may struggle to turn Ross Barkley’s loan move permanent from Chelsea due to his £30m asking price, so a move for Bournemouth’s Welsh winger would certainly seem rational.
The 23-year-old joined Bournemouth on a four-year deal from Sheffield United in 2018 and has gone on to make 61 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and supplying 10 assists. Brooks spent most of 2019/20 sidelined with a serious ankle injury, but he has been outstanding upon his return to action.
He picked up the injury at the tail end of the 2018/19 campaign and underwent surgery that summer. Brooks still hadn’t recovered by the end of that year and didn’t return until June 2020.
The Welsh international scored one goal in Bournemouth’s final nine games of the 2019/20 season as they were relegated to the Championship but has been far more prolific in the Cherries’ promotion push this term. He has scored three goals and provided five assists in 16 league games, with more chances created (23) than Barkley (15) and John McGinn (19), so he could be a good asset.
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Bournemouth manager Jason Tindall has described the winger as ‘excellent’, so why the Cherries would sell one of their key assets while they sit third in the Championship is anybody’s guess.
Time will tell whether Smith is successful in his pursuit of Brooks, but he certainly seems like an option worth exploring.
