OPINION
Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi’s days at the club seemed to be numbered after he dropped a bombshell about his future on Sunday.
The 23-year-old revealed that he has been put on the transfer list by the Championship side which clearly suggests that he will be heading for the exit door this summer.
Left-back Amavi was an inconsistent figure for manager Steve Bruce last term, constantly being out of position and losing the ball in crucial areas.
As a result, Bruce should look to replace him with the more reliable and consistent Middlesbrough defender George Friend, who has valuable experience of gaining promotion to the top tier.
The 29-year-old played a big part in Boro securing automatic promotion to the Premier League during the 2015/16 season – a position Villa and Bruce want to be in by May 2018.
He has played 226 matches in the Championship and clearly understands how to win matches in the tough and gruelling league.
Friend’s experience would be valuable to Villa because they struggled to cope with the demands of the league last season, ending up in the bottom half after starting as one of the promotion favourites.
The former non-league player may not be a typical attacking full-back, but compared to Amavi he can provide a solid base for Bruce at the back.
That’s what Bruce should be looking at ahead of next season and Friend could be a player that helps the manager reach his minimum target of a play-off spot.