Crippy Cooke

Frederic Guilbert has found himself on the periphery at Aston Villa and was going to be loaned out before the winter transfer window shut in order to get game-time in the second half of the season. However, Football Insider reported that his move to Cardiff City has ‘collapsed’ after he ‘pulled out’ of the deal […]

Aston Villa aren’t short on options out wide with Jack Grealish, Anwar El Ghazi, Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet, but three of the four could start most games if Dean Smith opts for a 4-2-3-1 formation, leaving goal-shy Trezeguet as the only attacking option on the bench. Villa have shown an interest in David Brooks, Milot […]

Trezeguet has an uncertain future at Aston Villa after struggling for fitness and form this season, but it doesn’t appear that he will be offloaded before the winter transfer window shuts. Galatasaray had shown an interest in the 26-year-old, but The Athletic have reported that Trezeguet is ‘going nowhere’ in January because Dean Smith is […]

Conor Hourihane has joined Swansea City on loan for the rest of the season after struggling for playing time at Aston Villa this campaign and Dean Smith has explained the reasoning behind the move. The manager revealed: “Personally, I’d like Conor to stay. But Conor’s been to see me a few times and intimated that […]

Dean Smith revealed in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference that his Aston Villa side have been training for three days ahead of this evening’s Premier League meeting with Manchester City, but he did admit that some players might be absent for the Etihad Stadium clash due to their sluggish recovery from Covid. Aston Villa suffered an […]

Aston Villa shared a picture on Twitter of Ross Barkley training with the first team ahead of tonight’s Premier League meeting with Manchester City and many fans were understandably very excited. The 27-year-old has been out for two months with a hamstring injury, but his return finally appears to be on the horizon. Barkley’s last […]

Dean Smith previously played down talk of Aston Villa letting players leave in the winter transfer window, but he has since made a U-turn as Conor Hourihane has been loaned out to Swansea City. In quotes reported by Birmingham Live, Smith said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the visit to Manchester City: “There’s […]

Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley has been out of action with a hamstring injury since November, missing seven Premier League games and one FA Cup clash, but he is on the recovery trail and is stepping things up in training. The 27-year-old was pictured undergoing a session with the first-team ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League […]

It didn’t seem that Aston Villa were going to complete much business in January, but Dean Smith is closing in on his first signing of the winter transfer window in Morgan Sanson. According to talkSPORT, the Villans are in advanced talks with Marseille over a deal for the midfielder worth £16m. The 26-year-old is being […]

Conor Hourihane has an uncertain future at Aston Villa as he has been short of playing time this season, falling behind John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Ross Barkley in the midfield pecking order. Although Dean Smith played down talk of letting players leave in January, Neil Moxley of the Sunday Mirror reported (via The 72) […]

Aston Villa would probably like to bring in a striker before the January transfer window shuts as Wesley Moraes is recovering from a long-term injury and Keinan Davis is without a goal in 22 Premier League games. Josh King has been continually linked with the Villans, but The Sun reported that his contract demands might […]

From the outside, it seems Aston Villa are spoilt for choice in midfield, with John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ross Barkley, Jacob Ramsey, Conor Hourihane, Marvelous Nakamba and Henri Lansbury However, Lansbury was left out of the Premier League squad in October, Nakamba isn’t nailing down a starting place, Hourihane is now a squad player and […]