Aston Villa are interested in signing Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Forshaw but face competition from Derby according to the Northern Echo.
The newspaper claim that new Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis wants to sell four or five players and is currently deciding who he doesn’t need.
The Northern Echo report that Forshaw didn’t feature in either of the two games Pulis has been in charge of, and will start against Sunderland on Saturday in order for Pulis to assess him.
The midfielder has made 11 league appearances for Middlesbrough this season, and his performances have been enough to garner the attention of both the Villans and Derby.
Good move for Aston Villa?
Forshaw has a heap of Championship experience and the Villans could do with strengthening their midfield if they want to push for promotion in the second-half of the season.
With Pulis wanting to lower the number of players in his squad, Aston Villa could snap Forshaw up for a very reasonable price if Middlesbrough decide he’s not needed.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
The chances of a deal happening will increase if Forshaw doesn’t put in a good performance against Sunderland on Saturday.
As for now, until a price point is established, it’s hard to know whether Aston Villa could afford to make a move with Financial Fair Play Rules limiting what they can spend in January.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10