OPINION
Whether Steve Bruce manages to steer his side to the promised land of the Premier League next season or not, Aston Villa face a crucial summer transfer window regardless.
Either the club will be building for their first season back in the Premier League after two years out, or they will be fine-tuning their squad for another run at the Championship next season.
One player that they should look to bring in is former Villan Scott Sinclair, who is enduring a tough second season in Scotland with Celtic.
As reported by The Sun, Premier League duo Bournemouth and Brighton are plotting summer swoops for the 29-year-old, who has fallen out of contention in recent weeks.
The newspaper report that Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is plotting a summer overhaul of his attacking options at Parkhead, and Sinclair could possibly leave the defending Premiership champions.
Villa sold Sinclair to Celtic in 2016 for £3.5million, and the winger has transformed his game while in Scotland to become a much more dangerous prospect for defences.
The wide man has gone from being a winger with pace and skill to a more all-round forward with a serious eye for goal mixed in with far greater consistency.
Sinclair was named Scotland’s Player of the Year in his first season at Celtic after his 25 goals in all competitions led the Hoops to a domestic treble.
The goal machine is having a much tougher season this time round but has still managed 17 so far as Celtic gun for a historic ‘double treble.’
It does however seem that he may be on his way out of Parkhead this summer amid Rodgers’ revamp, and Villa should pounce to secure a stunning return for their former star.
Promotion to the Premier League would make things easier regarding funds for the deal, but Sinclair would do a brilliant job for the club in either division.
The goals he has added to his game make him a much greater threat than ever seen before at Villa Park, and he could be the man to spearhead their next campaign.