OPINION
Aston Villa must attempt to sign Bournemouth winger Junior Stanislas in the January transfer window if Dean Smith wants to see his side shoot up the Championship table and into the automatic promotion spots.
As it stands, the Villains are 11th in the standings and four points shy of the top-six, but they have been massively lacking quality on the wings this season and a move to sign Stanislas, 28, could be exactly what they need to get the wins rolling.
Stanislas has been on the fringes of the Bournemouth squad this season, starting just the one game in the Premier League.
However that has not stopped the former West Ham ace from showing that he can be a good player for any team that could be interested in signing him in January.
Across all competitions, the dazzling wide-man has scored three goals and supplied one assist in just eight outings.
He scored a late winner against Crystal Palace after coming off the bench in October and his goals against Blackburn and Norwich in the Carabao Cup show that he can put even the best Championship sides to the sword if he is offered the chance to start.
Given the fact that Stanislas is hardly getting a start under Eddie Howe may mean that the Cherries boss could let him leave the Vitality on loan in January and if they do, covering his £15,000-a-week (Spotrac) wages shouldn’t be a problem for the Villains.
Smith has inherited a squad that is really lacking quality on the wings.
Anwar El Ghazi and Yannick Bolasie are yet to prove their worth after being signed on loan in the summer and Albert Adomah’s form is seriously worrying as he is yet to score this term. Ahmed Elmohamady is hardly an out-and-out winger, but it says a lot that he has probably been Aston Villa’s most consistent winger option.
That is why signing someone of Stanislas’ cutting edge, flair and pace should be high priority for Smith in the January window.
If he does not strengthen his attacking force then Villa are destined for a fourth year in the Championship and Financial Fair Play could become a huge, huge issue.