OPINION
Dean Smith could seal a masterstroke for Aston Villa this summer if the Midlands club signs Bradley Dack from Blackburn.
According to the Sun, the newly-promoted Villans are in the hunt to sign Dack, 25, and Smith is a “big fan” of the midfielder after an impressive season in the Championship.
Dack scored 18 goals and supplied 10 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Tony Mowbray’s side, and they were preparing to offer the former Gillingham ace a new deal.
However it is understood that there is no new contract on the table for Dack and that has led to Aston Villa, and Brighton, being on red alert over the attacking midfielder this summer.
Dack would definitely be a quality signing for Aston Villa if they are able to strike a deal with Blackburn before the start of next season.
Even though Blackburn finished the season in 15th place in the Championship, the London-born midfielder still impressed with his goal scoring ability, as well as his passing.
According to stats by WhoScored, Dack completed 78.4 per cent of his passes in the league, which is a respectable figure for an attacking midfielder playing for a bottom-half team.
He also averaged 1.2 key passes per appearance, as well as 2.8 shots per outing, which is more than what Jack Grealish managed in claret and blue.
Dack and Grealish are both great players who offer something very different in the attacking midfield positions.
Villa’s Grealish adopts more of a playmaker role in the midfield while Dack is someone who likes to get himself into the box and feed off what those are providing around him.
If Smith is able to find a way to have both Dack and Grealish in his starting line-up next season then that could be a masterful move by the Aston Villa manager.
Both should be able to compliment each other well and with some good quality players on the wings, both are bound to get among the goals in the Premier League.