OPINION
Aston Villa fans might have seen manager Steve Bruce manage to pull off some impressive transfer and loan deals late on in the summer window but there is one area which sticks out like a sore thumb – the heart of the defence.
The Villa Park faithful have been tearing their hair out at Bruce’s decision not only to send Tommy Elphick out to Hull City on loan but to not bring in at least one replacement to fill the void, leaving the club with just two centre back options at his disposal – not including the outcast that is Micah Richards.
It has come back to bite them this season as well, with the experiment of playing central midfielder Mile Jedinak at the back a misjudged move from the man in the dugout, even if he did manage to keep a clean sheet against Rotherham on Tuesday.
It is for this reason that reigniting their confirmed transfer hunt for Aberdeen’s 6’2″ (source: Transfermarkt) giant Scott McKenna in January is a no-brainer, and would give Bruce exactly what he needs for the second half of the season.
The manager told the Evening Express: “I spoke to Derek McInnes 10 days before (the window closed). But the stance was that he wasn’t for sale. It was like us with (Jack) Grealish – he wasn’t for sale in this window.
“He is someone we have had a look at, Scott. But there are two or three other players in Scotland we have been looking at as well. We will see what develops.”
A four cap Scottish international at the tender age of 21, McKenna’s youth would help lower the age of an experienced Aston Villa side, and would provide a talent who can grow and develop over the years.
If Bruce was so keen in the summer, then watching his side as the Championship campaign rolls on will only make the need for a new centre back more evident, and by December he will no doubt have a shortlist as long as his arm as he desperately looks to bolster his options.
Villa are confirmed to still be in the market for McKenna and as one of the rising talents in Scottish football, his capture looks to be ideal – if Derek McInnes welcomes an offer, of course.