Dean Smith is interested in bringing Gary Cahill to Aston Villa this summer, according to the Sun.
The 33-year-old centre-back is available on a free this summer and Smith could need new recruits with Tyrone Mings and Axel Tuanzebe heading back to their parent clubs, and their future plans unknown.
6ft 4in enforcer Cahill, on a reported £100k-a-week at Chelsea, has had a miserable final season in west London. He only made eight appearances across all competitions and didn’t make a single Premier League start.
Cahill is said to be “firmly” on Smith’s and it would mean a reunion Chelsea stalwart John Terry.
Good move for Aston Villa?
Dean Smith has got a big job ahead of him and will probably need to bring in up to 10 new players this summer if he wants to establish Villa as a Premier League side. He won’t want too many players the wrong side of 30 but Cahill could be a really smart pick-up. His wages would need to come down but he’s still got a good few years in the Premier League left in the tank, despite Sarri not giving him much shrift this season. Having someone experienced at the back would give Villa a solid foundation to build on and Cahill has been there and done everything in the Premier League.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
Cahill will be looking for a move, would surely like to stay in the Premier League and he knows John Terry very well. On the face of it, it all makes sense but Cahill is on a huge salary and won’t want to drop down too much. Villa wouldn’t have to pay a fee for him but they can’t afford to throw money around and this could come down to whether they can hold onto Mings and Tuanzebe, and how much Cahill is willing to sign for. Both are touch and go.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10