Tom Heaton has an uncertain future at Aston Villa. He was first choice between the sticks upon his 2019 arrival from Burnley but lost his place after suffering a serious knee injury just over a year ago.
The 34-year-old has since returned to fitness but finds himself as an unused substitute for 2020 newcomer Emiliano Martinez, so he might now be considering his options.
Dean Smith played down talk of Heaton leaving in the January transfer window, having this week labelled him a “valuable member of my squad” (as per Birmingham Live). However, The Mirror have now reported that a number of Championship clubs could test the waters to try and sign him.
Heaton hasn’t made a first team appearance for Villa this season but played for the under-23s on four occasions to build up his match fitness (Transfermarkt).
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The England international surely won’t want to spend the second half of the campaign on the bench, so he might be open to a move elsewhere.
Jed Steer is an able deputy for Heaton if Villa did grant him a short-term loan exit, but there is no real suggestion that Smith is considering any such option. The Mirror didn’t specify which clubs are keen on the 34-year-old, so reports of a possible exit still seem speculative.
Martinez isn’t at risk of losing his place in the side, so the Claret and Blues will have a decision to make on Heaton’s future this summer. It’s hard to see him sticking around as a backup option throughout the 2021/22 campaign, but it’s hard to gauge whether his departure could come sooner than that.
