Former Aston Villa star Stan Collymore has sent Joe Lolley a tongue in cheek message after his former club’s promotion to the Premier League.
Villa secured promotion success after beating Derby County 2-1 at Wembley on Monday after goals from Anwar El-Ghazi and John McGinn.
Nottingham Forest star Joe Lolley has previously been reported as a target for Dean Smith and the Daily Mail claim that the club’s play-off success has seen the Villans prepare a £10million bid for the winger.
Collymore wrote on his personal Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon: “Hey @JLolley23, how you doing pal?”. The cheeky message led to the suggestion that Lolley could be on his way to Villa but Collymore later announced it was a joke.
Hey @JLolley23, how you doing pal? ?
— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) May 28, 2019
Lolley, 26, enjoyed a great season in the Championship at Forest, scoring 11 goals and assisting the same amount of goals. The English forward delivered four of those assists against Villa in the 5-5 draw back in November.
OPINION
There is no doubt that the interest in Joe Lolley from Dean Smith and Aston Villa is genuine. The fact that Lolley himself is an Aston Villa fan who used to sit in the Holte End at Villa park certainly adds fuel to the fire. Transfer speculation is one of the highlights of being a football fan and Stan Collymore certainly sent Villans into overdrive with his tongue in cheek message. The former England international turned pundit has ties with both clubs from his playing career and will no doubt have worried his Forest connections. The jury is still out on Joe Lolley who struggled to make an impression at Huddersfield who were also promoted and was then sold and £10million is a big price tag for a player who was only sold for a tenth of the price in 2018. His goal involvement of 22 goals this season has certainly highlighted his ability but the Premier League may be too big of a step for the 26-year-old.