OPINION
Aston Villa must send their reported pursuit of Southampton forward Shane Long into overdrive after a reliable journalist provided an update on his status.
Alan Nixon, who is a reporter for The Sun, shared via his personal Twitter account on Saturday that the Saints were open to letting their 31-year-old attacker depart on loan.
The Villans, who could do with welcoming a new forward before the loan window shuts, were thought to be in the hunt to sign Long, as reported by the Birmingham Mail, but that Steve Bruce wasn’t confident of his side’s chances.
The newspaper claimed that the Villans manager wasn’t convinced that Long would be willing to drop down into the Championship in order to play his football.
However given that the Saints are now thought to be open to loaning their forward, who currently earns £60,000-a-week (Source: Spotrac), then the Villans must go all out to sign him.
Long may have featured for Mark Hughes’ side in their last two league games but given that his club are open to loaning him then it suggests that he won’t get the regular football he will be keen to get if he stays at St Mary’s.
The 31-year-old forward is no doubt eager to get as much playing time as possible due to his age and won’t want to waste time sitting on the sidelines.
This could see Long be very willing to join the Villans despite them being in the Championship.
Long would be the perfect player to help fire the Villans to promotion as not only does he have plenty of experience of playing in the Championship but by stepping down a level he will be able to rediscover his eye for goal.
The experienced attacker managed only two goals in 35 appearances last season and while his efforts can never be criticised, clearly he has lost his ability to be clinical in front of goal when playing in England’s top division.
Therefore the Villans must send their reported pursuit of Long into overdrive following the update that the Saints could sanction his temporary exit as he could be just the forward they’re looking for in order to help escape the Championship.