Aston Villa aren’t short of centre-backs with Tyrone Mings partnering Ezri Konsa while new-boy Calum Chambers and Kortney Hause provide backup, but Steven Gerrard is on the hunt for a defender this summer.
Hause has struggled for fitness and playing time, so he might be moved on at the end of the season. He’ll need replacing if offloaded and Paddy Kenny believes Filip Helander might be earmarked by Gerrard.
He told Football Insider: “Unless one of those top, top clubs are going to be in for him, which you would think they won’t be, then he can join Villa. He knows the manager and that’s the key thing. Gerrard must think that he can do a job in the Premier League.
“Helander presumably trusts Gerrard and Villa is a massive club so why wouldn’t you want to go there. There is a question over the different between Scottish football and the Premier League. But, as I say, Gerrard clearly thinks he can do a job if he’s intererested.”
The 29-year-old joined Rangers on a four-year deal from Bologna in 2019 and has gone on to make 60 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals with one assist.
Helander has been a regular at Ibrox and helped the Gers win the Scottish Premiership title in his second season. The Swedish international played under Gerrard at Rangers and may jump at the chance to renew acquaintances, but time will tell if an official approach is made and agreement reached.
Villa will be overstocked at the back if Helander is signed without an existing player being offloaded, so a move for the 29-year-old might depend on what Gerrard does with Hause.
In other news, Mark Lawrenson gives Aston Villa transfer warning to Steven Gerrard
