Southampton attacker Shane Long is a target for Aston Villa with them making it high on their agenda to add a new forward to their squad, according to the Express & Star.
The newspaper claim that along with Long, Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Watford’s Isaac Success are all options that the Villans are considering in their hunt for a new forward.
The Express & Star report that Steve Bruce is eager to add players to his squad ahead of the loan window closing at the end of August.
Good Move for Aston Villa?
All of these three players would be respectable options for the Villans to borrow for the season but Long maybe the pick of the bunch.
The 31-year-old, who earns £60,000-a-week at the Saints (Source: Spotrac), may have only managed two goals in 30 appearances for his side last season but he should be able to excel in the Championship with the Villans.
Long also works hard for his team and uses his blistering pace to get himself clear-cut chances on goal so there’s no reason to suggest that his arrival wouldn’t boost the club’s firepower.
Also given that the experienced forward has played 123 times in the Championship previously, he knows how to be a success story in England’s second-tier.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
It seems very likely that Success or Abraham could both be loaned out by their clubs as they both are young and unlikely to regularly feature if they stay where they are currently.
Both of these players have been linked to the Villans before so it wouldn’t be surprised if either of them rocked up at Villa Park before end of the month.
However the availability of Long isn’t known as while he didn’t feature in his side’s opening clash against Burnley, it’s not a guarantee that the club will look to part with his company just yet as he could be great cover if their first-choice options get injured.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10